LIN'K STOCK BREKDERS. 145 



upon our roads and get one hundred cents worth of value out of every 

 dollar expended, hut that day is coming, too. We have not in the past 

 emphasized very much the building of rock roads, not because they are 

 not of great value and almost absolutely necessary and are going to come, 

 but we have endeavored in the past to build a foundation and to educate 

 ourselves in the primary department, if I may use that expression, so as 

 to get up to this more advanced matter, and I am glad to know that we 

 are moving along in that direction, and I am more than glad that we have 

 the presence of the gentleman from the Department of Agriculture in the 

 United States with us to help us along in the agitation of this question. 



If any of you gentlemen will take the pains, if you are yet doubtful 

 and skeptical as to the character of our present law in the State of Mis- 

 souri, to follow Mr. Hamilton in his discussion of the very same ques- 

 tion, you will see that he is on precisely the same track that Missouri is on 

 in that direction, and the law that he was talking about was adopted only 

 in 1897, and had not yet been operated in Pennsylvania, but was just be- 

 ginning then. 



As to state aid, what does it mean? It means that the farmer would 

 not have to bear all the burden of road construction. It would mean, if 

 the money was contributed and appropriated by the State, the city of 

 St. Louis, which does not now pay a dollar of tax for our rural roads, 

 and also Kansas City and St. Joseph, and the great interests of the State, 

 the railroads, the telegraph systems and all of these taxable franchises 

 would put into the roads of the State of Missouri four dollars to where 

 the farmer would be required to put in one, and that they have an in- 

 terest in the roads is evidenced by Mr. Richardson's address ; therefore, 

 it is the proper thought for us to work in that direction, and first to put 

 ourselves in a position to use these funds so as not to squander them. 



Now, as to the laws that have been made for the purpose of construct- 

 ing rock roads and other roads, the law that Mr. Richardson referred to 

 has been on our statute books about twenty-five years, and I think I am 

 safe in saying that no road was ever built under that law. 



Mr. Gabbert : We have had rock roads built thirty-five years, but not 

 under that law. 



Mr. Waters : Any way our Association is not opposed to that law. 

 Let it stand there. But we have not yet thought out or been able to 

 think out a law that we think is applicable, but we are coming in that 

 direction. The time is coming when we will have a law that will enable 

 us to build good roads. 



Now, as to the Government — any of you that are reading, and I 

 think all of you are, can see the signs of the times, and how it is that these 



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