Evening Republican, Volume 20, Number 271, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 November 1916 — Home Town Helps [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Home Town Helps

TOWNS COULD SET EXAMPLES Streets In Many Small Cities Worts Than Country Roads—Farmers Have Better Public BpiriL It Is high time that the rural sections of America called to the towns to mend their ways and their streets, says a Writer In the Country Gentleman. This is our conclusion after a recent tour of hundreds of miles through a prosperous country. We found highways In rural sections well kept and comfortable, but there was a far different story In the small cities and In the numerous towns and villages through which we passed. The main country roads were smooth boulevards compared with the streets in the average town or city. In some places where the homes were handsome and the factories busy the streets were full of holes. It was a striking Illustration of the greatest roads failure In America. Small cities and towns have lagged. A roads expert, who recently has traveled over most of the country, says the fault Is general. In the past five years the rural situation has improved vastly, but the small city and town showing is sad. When you near a settlement you begin to bump. For this the explanation is that the town or city has too much local indifference. A banker said to us:“We have two factions and each is so busy fighting the other that nothing is done for the town.” It is a great pity. The very communities that ought tQ be ahead on good thoroughfares are behind. Perhaps farmers might jog them into right action by taking their patronage to towns and cities that provide good streets to travel over. —-Chicago News.