596 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



OUR COUNTRY ROADS. 



C. M. Adams, Davenport, loiva. President of Rural Carriers' Associatio^tf 

 of loioa. Before Clinton Farmers' Institute. 



I want to touch the subject briefly under five heads, viz.: Material 

 aid, state aid, county aid, township aid, and, lastly, the farmer's aid. 



NATIONAL AID. 



I recall that the National Farmers' Institute that was held in Rock 

 Island last fall adopted the resolution that was introduced by James 

 McKinney in favor of national aid and the passing of the Brownlow bill. 

 Now, all of this sounds very nice, but, alas, it is never realized. 



Just so with national aid for our roads, it is a farce pure and simple. 

 Just something that our political friends are trying to hand to us to 

 cause the farmers to think they are working for them. 



We have today the only government aid that we will ever get, and 

 it is worth more than what we have asked for. It has improved thou- 

 sands and thousands of miles of roads. I refer to the rural free deliv- 

 ery that covers over 53,000 miles of the Iowa roads, and they must be 

 kept in good shape. 



The agricultural department is now co-operating with the postoffice 

 department, the work is being systematized and there is a steady im- 

 provement in the condition of our highways, more noticeable in other 

 states than in ours, but it is coming just the same. 



STATE AID. 



Now, that sounds better than national aid, but let us see, some one 

 says let the state pay 50 per cent, county 25 per cent, township 15 per 

 cent, and abutting property 10 per cent and we can have fine roads 

 Now let us see what that really means. It means simply this: Take 

 the hard earned money out of your pocket, put it into the other fel- 

 low's pocket, then let you reach your hand in his pocket and after some 

 kicking you can pull out about 90 cents on the dollar. Say, Mr. Farmer, 

 how much did you get from the other fellow (the state) for nothing? 

 Did you ever stop to think where the state's money comes from? The 

 taxes, of course, and who pays the taxes? You do. Yes; I expected some 

 one was going to speak of the $50,000,000 that the state of New York is 

 spending for permanent roads. Let me say right here before that state 

 gets through spending the $50,000,000 on permanent roads it will need 

 another $50,000,000 to repair the permanent roads that are built. 



What is good for the farmers of New York, where eighty-two per 

 cent of the state's wealth is in her cities and commercial industries and 



