474 RURAL SOCIOLOGY 



roads. The entrance to a village or country district should be 

 direct, inviting, and hospitable. The front door to a town should 

 have the same qualities as the front door of one's own home. 



Good roads are a primary part of civic betterment, and the 

 campaign for good roads is perennial. Better methods of road 

 building are needed, and more permanent roads are especially 

 desirable. In many cases, roads and streets should be relocated 

 before permanent improvements are made. Such relocations 

 should secure more direct lines and easier grades. The work of 

 the Massachusetts Highway Commission has developed some 

 striking examples of improvement by relocation. Many similar 

 improvements can be secured by the towns themselves, if only 

 proper thought is given to the matter. 



In Massachusetts, every town should have a tree warden, and 

 should make sure that he is a competent man and that he at- 

 tends to his work. In the face of the unusual pests which we 

 have to meet, the salvation of street trees can be secured only by 

 heroic efforts. It is depressing to think what our village streets 

 and country lanes would be like, should the street trees disap- 

 pear. The best modern, scientific care should be given to pre- 

 serve the trees now standing, and at the same time annual plant- 

 ings of young trees should be made to make good the unavoid- 

 able losses. 



The villages are the natural centers of political, business and 

 social life in New England communities. They should be worthy 

 of such an important office. Moreover, at such centers should be 

 grouped the buildings which represent the public. life of the 

 community, such as town hall, library, school-houses, post-office, 

 etc. Substantial advantages are gained by grouping these build- 

 ings instead of scattering them. In general, the best arrange- 

 ment is to have them front upon the town common, but never 

 should they be placed upon the Common itself. 



The small central greens located in the hearts of many New 

 England villages are a public asset of the highest value. They 

 should be most jealously guarded. They should be well kept, 

 in every particular. It is especially important as a general prin- 

 ciple that no architectural or ornamental construction of any 

 kind should be permitted on the Common. Public buildings are 

 particularly damaging, but neither is the Common any place for 



