20 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Due. 



the churches in which they worship. In many sections of 

 the country the purse strings of individuals have been loos- 

 ened easier for comforts and luxuries than the purse strings 

 of public treasuries for the improvement of roads. We 

 recognize the leadership shoAvn by Massachusetts in greater 

 equality in this matter. 



The phase of road improvement that I desire to empha- 

 size is through national aid to road construction, with the 

 hope of arousing the farmers to active efforts to secure it. 

 The farmers have been loyal to the interests of the nation in 

 every emergency in the past. They have contril)uted their 

 full share in proportion to their wealth to the revenues for 

 the support of the government. The ablest statesmen and 

 most successful business men contributing to the develop- 

 ment and prosperity of the country point to the farms as 

 their birthplace, and we refer to them as the farmers' con- 

 tribution to State and nation. When our country has been 

 in danger from internal dissensions or external foes, result- 

 ing in bloodshed, the farmers' boys have responded nobly 

 in her defence, and manv of them never returned to homes 

 that mourn their loss. We have uncomplainingly contrib- 

 uted our share to the enormous expenditures of the national 

 government for river and harbor improvements, the construc- 

 tion of canals and the erection of costly buildings in our 

 great cities, and we do not regret it. We now ask, in the 

 name of justice and equitj', that national aid be granted for 

 the improvement of highways. This involves the estab- 

 lishment of no new policy, but the extension of a former 

 policy. We ask the loyal support of those who have been 

 benefited by our contribution to other public matters to 

 which I have referred. T believe I have authority to say that 

 the farmers of the nation, representing more than a third of 

 our population, are })ractically unanimous in favor of such a 

 movement, and will give it their un(|ualified support. 



TiiK Parcel Post. 



While all classes of people sending packages from one 

 locality to another would be lienefited by the establishment 

 of a payccl post in the post-office department of the govern- 



