91 

 A ROAD DEPARTMENT. 



There is a project under consideration of Con- 

 gress which provides for the unification of all road 

 authorities under one head. Whether it will receive 

 sanction remains to be seen ; a State road department 

 will have enough to do to justify its existence, whether 

 it achieves anything like what it proposes or not. It is 

 calculated that the absence of transitable roads obliges 

 our farmers to pay never less than 10 per cent, more 

 for cartage, not counting the additional loss from 

 loads "volteados", and then only permits a precarious 

 state of traffic, liable at any moment to be interrupted 

 altogether, so that the losses from irregularity of traf- 

 fic may equal, in one year alone, the total cost of main- 

 taining passable roads. 



The Board destined to confront the prob- 

 lem of our rural traffic has these stupendous figures 

 with which to urge on their campaign for transitable 

 roads: only let it be one with sufficient moral respon- 

 sibility to undertake the raising of the necessary funds 

 to begin the elementary stages of a permanent road 

 scheme . 



It is not of great practical use to go to extremes 

 over the apparent difference which the present custom 

 of keeping or neglecting roads makes to the farmer. 

 The remedy is in his own hands, for from the farmer 

 himself must come the solution of the difficulties. Af- 

 ter all is said and done, it directly affects him most, 

 and if under present circumstances but little progress 

 is evident, the future cannot be said to hold out any- 

 thing more brilliant. 



GOOD ROADS AND RURAL PROSPERITY. 



As a matter of fact, the cost of cartage of the har- 

 vest, cheap or dear,plays but its part and no more, it 

 is only one more straw to the camel's back. Good roads 

 alone will not make our farmer's happiness; they will 

 help him to move his crop but not increase its value, 

 nor will the reduction of cartage freights compensate 

 for the inversion of huge sums in road building and 

 repairs. The additional advantages will be very rela- 

 tive, they will pass unperceived, unless accompanied 

 by other measures. 



The money spent on road making in the country 

 will provide work for the peones, it will give some mo- 

 vement here and there, but some other steps must be 



