ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. 205 



Gentlemen, we are confronted by both a theory and a 

 condition. The theory I have laid before you. The condition 

 is the present weakness and limited influence of the Illinois 

 Dairymen's Association. What will you do with them? 



THE VALUE OF GOOD KOADS TO THE DAIRYMAN. 



HON. B. F. AVYMAN, SYCAMORE. 



The discussion of the good road question during recent 

 years has resulted in an immense amount of talk, innumerable 

 resolutions, the introduction in many State legislatures of nu- 

 merous bills providing for good road commissions, and many 

 organizations throughout the country to devise methods by 

 which something could be accomplished in that line, while 

 nothing practical has yet been accomplished. It has caused 

 much figuring on the cost of making a good road, a road that 

 is smooth and hard when good roads are most needed, and that 

 is when the frost is coming out of the ground in winter and 

 spring and after heavy continued rains, and they have made 

 this discovery, that the immense mileage of roads and the great 

 cost pei* mile of making good roads in all parts of the country 

 remote from good road material make the expense so great 

 that it is not at all practical to attempt it, and for this reason ; 

 If an attempt were made to make any great amount of it, the 

 taxes would be far greater than could be compensated by any 

 benefits that any dairyman might receive. If only a small 

 amount were made each year many of the present generation 

 would not live long enough to receive any of the benefits. 

 The State of Illinois contains about 5(>,()00 square miles of 

 territory, and there are usually two miles of road to each mile 

 of territory, making 112,000 miles in the State. Leaving off 

 the 12,000 miles we have enough roads in the State of Illinois 

 to make a continuous line four times around the world. If 

 it were possible to construct a road around the globe, just 

 think of starting out from here to build a stone roadway across 

 the continent to San Francisco, thence the 10,000 or 12,000 

 miles across the Pacific ocean to Japan. Three thousand 



