HIGHWAYS AND BYWAYS U.S.A.

foreign USA New York to Chicago Detroit to St Louis Atlanta to Los Angeles New Orleans to Denver San Francisco back to Chicago and all our cities in between four lanes six Lanes as modern as next year's calendar the best that money can buy for a nation that insists on nothing less than the best this too is Motor Transport USA agricultural America North South East and West Rural Road City people seldom see and never travel except by accident or detour some of its surface medium or low-grade surfacing 10 20 30 years old and more more of it a million and a half miles unsurfaced the same narrow Dusty roads that ran past Farmhouse doors in the days of horses and wagons subject to the same washouts the running the mud holes year after year the story is the same too often told in red ink on Farm Ledger books too often told in days missed at school by Farm children and sometimes in tragedy when medical help is bogged down in mud holes or strodes that are relics of the horse and buggy days what are the factors that have brought about these conditions and what are the forces that can change them this film offers a pictorial answer to that question [Music] [Applause] [Music] foreign County Midland USA a century ago this was Log Cabin Country history book America name it yourself your own state which you could very well be your own County by another name or your own Township where you live and work where you're raising and educating your children as it happens Dexter county is where I live town of Greenville is Pleasant a county seat as you'll find anywhere in these United States this is where I work the town's best and only newspaper also star reporter Chief editorial writer and in emergency's type Center life never gets dull for a country editor there's always something doing like for instance the question the country roads that's a big space getter in my paper of prime importance to the people around here Farmers mostly and important to Farmers and ranchers everywhere and business people too it's a true story I'm going to tell except for a few unimportant changes like names of people and places for instance and pretty much the way I told it in my paper even before the American Farmer retired his horses in favor of his truck his tractor and his family car getting a good all-weather Road past his place has been one of his biggest problems but the real seriousness of that problem to the individual farmer didn't hit me until about two years ago I hadn't seen Alf more in town lately also pretty well to do farm and near the other end of the county I decided to drive over to his place for a little visit [Music] about a quarter mile from the end of his property there was elf his Boy George and a couple of neighbors hard at it thank you I thought it might be strange Alf Moore taking time off from the farm that time of year to go fooling around fixing roads and he was fixing that road on his own even using his own equipment seems Alf Moore and other farmers in the neighborhood had been complaining for a long time about their Road begging for quick repairs especially during rainy Seasons I'll bet he had graveling or hard top surfacing but they got nowhere hauling crops and produce to Market free and farm supplies General travel over this road was slow and uncertain in bad weather or right after bad weather rain or snow too often impassable for trucks and the school bus as I wanted to hear more about this Rural Road problem I invited myself to stay for supper [Music] the fact is we use this road only when we have to driving any distance we head for the main Highway U.S 40. you mean you go three or four miles out of your way maybe more just to get in the surfaced road oh it's worth it smoother riding easier on the car or truck cheaper in the end easier on the nerves too can't say we like it too much traffic you know how 40 is these days and it takes us too far out of our way your road was put in decent shape either fixed up or surfaced lots of pipe dream West but if it ever comes true we'd use it and stay off for it why do you call it a pipe dream why hasn't it been put in decent shape one word money it takes money and there's no money to be had nonsense the richest country in the world no money for decent roads I don't know about the rest of the country or the next County for that matter all I know is it right here in Greenville Township Dexter County there's just not enough money set aside to keep our local roads in good condition a fine State of Affairs I must say in this day and age now he was getting excited about it Wes I used to carry on about it holler around and beat on desks nothing ever happened so I quit and so you quit that's right I just gave up and quit hollering I got to be practical about this Wes that stretchy Road out there is in the worst shape it's ever been a real danger spot it needs fixing now right now I just bought some brand new equipment that's got to be hauled in over that road in the next few days and next week I got crops to haul the market in the load of hogs it had to be fixed before winter anyhow I just can't afford to take a chance on having road trip as far as I can see there's only one thing to do and I'm doing it disgraceful the next issue of the Greenville press had less in it about local Society news and more about local roads front page Story the lead editorial inside created quite a stir in town and all over the county and for all I know in the state capitol Ray Oliver our County Road commissioner came by I thought he'd be put out about the ALF Moore story in editorial after all it was an indirect criticism of Rey all he said was keep it up doc that's all but it seemed to me there was a lot of extra meaning in the way he said it and then hurried on during the next few days a dozen Farmers rode in some phoned in tow charges and all saying for me to come out to their place if I wanted to have a look at some really bad roads and find out just how much Rose meant to Farmers nowadays on my fresh free day I set out for Cal with his farm Cal's wife had written a letter I thought raided some looking into some pretty pertinent remarks on the farm roads problem besides it always being a person of pleasure seeing Lucy with it the road running past the withers Farm route 157 was first built about 30 years ago never much of a highway even when you and made much worse these last few years by heavy traffic in seasonal rain Cal and Lucy Withers have been getting away from grain farming the past few years and into Dairy they like Dairy farming and wanted to stay in it but they had a serious Farm to Market Road problem Cal's only comment on his bad Road situation was well that's a farmer's life for you he had a fine herd of high producing dairy cows that could bring in a substantial return everything else being equal a down in cow's corner of the county everything was not equal he had that beaten up road to contend with and as he put it Mighty little dick intend it with I knew what that meant to a Dairy Farmer especially in bad weather either no pickup of his milk or time away from his other work trying to make delivery himself I was very interested in finding out what his wife had to say on the subject Lucy weathers had been one of the best teachers we'd ever had in our Township School and she'd never lost her interest in civic affairs she was active in local and County Farm organizations and pretty much represented the woman's angle when it came to Farmers problems but to exist as Dairy Farmers we've got to sell our milk which means getting it to Market these last two years the margin of difference between profit and loss was our day-to-day weather and the amount of heavy traffic on our road and the same thing goes for bus pickup service and whether our children get to school Town and County officials tell me there's no money available to build us a better Road or fix the one we have we can't just pack up our things pick up our farm and move off somewhere to a good all-weather Road no one says it's not enough money they say it's not available for people like us I want to know what I can do personally to make it available and I intend to find out after that rather Whirlwind visits the withers Farm I went further into the county road problem really dug deep into it at the suggestion of Lucy Withers I kept the subject alive in every issue with a paper the stories editorials and all kinds of Highway statistics letters kept coming in and I published some of them before I knew it I had a rural road department in my paper incidentally circulation went up not only around Greenville but all through the county and outside if ever there was a Grassroots issue this was it these were my people and they were beginning to stir to the faint sound of trumpets in the air far off perhaps but coming closer and louder whenever I had free time I went out on private inspection tours I found that the Farm Road problem went further than gravel and dirt roads it took in certain types of surface drones like the one that ran by Fred Dixon's place for instance originally back in the 20s Fred's Road was paved to support maximum axle loads of Sixteen thousand pounds with only an occasional truck as heavy as twenty four thousand pounds gross like all concrete roads of those days it was built as a permanent Road at the dedication ceremonies the main speaker said this highway says he will stand as long as the pyramids of Egypt I was there and I heard him 30 years ago last I heard tell the pyramids of Egypt are still in pretty good shape as for Fred Dixon's Road 59a well the best I can say for it is that it's still passable but for how much longer a day or two later I had a surprise visitor I knew what was on her mind before she said a word she wanted to know how much longer I intended to study the Farm Road problem before I did anything about moving toward a solution well frankly that kind of stumped me and I didn't exactly have an answer Lucy was all for direct action right then and there next thing I knew we were on our way out of my office scurrying across the street headed for Ray Oliver's office in the county courthouse [Music] I didn't even have a chance to tip him off about Lucy Withers being in town and on the war path to say I was surprised is putting it mildly I was flabbergasted when I found that Ray Oliver was actually glad to see Lucy and me and not at all touchy about talking to us even though he had been getting it from all sides on the question of local Road improvements the fact is that without most of us realizing it he had been fighting the approved Farm Road Battle for a long time but he'd gone as far as he could the rest he said was up to us us local people affected by inadequate and neglected roads Highway officials can't do the job by themselves or even get it underway [Music] if impetus must come from you farmers and townspeople and I include City dwellers who are interested in city street improvements local roads are a local problem and nobody's going to do more than you are willing to do yourself to get the road past your farm or through your town or city streets into good all-weather shape so it all boils down to a rather simple objective you must get a larger share of the road tax dollar allocated for local roads and city streets unfortunately there are many farmers who are inclined to believe that nothing can be accomplished through their own efforts they are wrong individual effort doesn't mean much combined effort means a great deal you'll come up against disappointments and you'll meet discouragement along the way but remember this what has been done can be done it's up to you during the next few weeks using the Greenville press office's headquarters the campaign for better Farm roads really got going Wesley Underwood Alf Moore and I were the organizing committee with Mr Underwood as chairman we soon discovered that other towns in the county and throughout the state had the same or similar Road problems they ask us to come to speak to them at their halls and school houses our first open meeting took place on a Saturday afternoon in the Consolidated School farmers and Farmers wives from all over Dexter County 's people of Greenville as expected but surprisingly people from other towns this was really democracy in action thank you foreign it was an informal and neighborly occasion friends passing the time of day farm and family news the main topics of conversation until the meeting settled down to business Wesley Underwood as chairman of the farm roads committee was the first speaker and informal chairman filled in the general background of the main topic on the agenda the rural highways and then brought the discussion down to the specific issues on the local level and so by digging back through old records and newspaper files we discovered something that many of you may remember it firsthand that when the state's Main Highway Improvement and construction program was put into effect Farmers on dirt slag and gravel roads were promised Road improvements and New Roads quote as fast as possible as the need is demonstrated and when funds are available end quote that was 30 years ago and more in most cases you farmers are still making the best of a bad bargain along the same unsurfaced and badly neglected roads today new road programs are in the works and history repeats itself farmers are again being assured that the sinkholes the mud the cave-ins on Rural roads and bridges will be taken care of quote as fast as possible as the need is demonstrated and when funds are available thank you well we don't intend to stand by another 30 years and watch history repeat itself too many of us may not be around at that time reconstruction of Maine roads still in pretty good passable condition construction of City to City highways all right we'll go along with that program under one condition that first the promise of 30 years ago be fulfilled that out-of-date neglected rural roads be put into good all-weather condition and news Farm to Market roads be built where needed we say the time is now let's get something done in our lifetime most money for building and maintaining roads comes from Motor Vehicle tax revenues gasoline taxes license fees that represents a powerful lot of money paid in by us Farmers over the years we want to know where that money is gone we know where it hasn't gone in amounts you can sneeze at that is all right Al you tell us where has all that money gone Everett Purdy that's exactly what I aim to do most of that money paid in partly by you and me most of it goes for what's called State primary roads the kind of Road Everett you probably ain't been on since you got rid of your Stanley Steemer and went back to your horse and buggy [Applause] thank you all we want and we've just got to have it is a bigger and fairer share of the state's gas taxes and motor vehicle license fees and that's not asking too much [Applause] I would like to ask a question what is your question please does your program call for paved highways for all of the farm areas of Dexter County no it does not we're not asking for high type servicing for all our farm roads to do so would be impractical fool-hearted and unrealistic such roads cost from seventy thousand dollars a mile up two hundred and fifty thousand dollars a mile is common some the multi-lane super highways run as much as three million dollars a mile wheat Farmers don't need we're not asking for and we don't want super highways and high priced roads foreign [Applause] roads committee whose guest I am here today is asking for a system of farm roads that will cost about seventeen thousand dollars a mile such roads would be 18 feet wide with a six inch stone and gravel base and a two inch asphalt top a road like that will easily handle ordinary Farm traffic we need such roads in Dexter County we should have them and we could have them foreign in my opinion it is not necessary that every Farm in Dexter County have that kind of road to seventeen thousand dollars a mile where there is less travel satisfactory all weather roads can be built for seven thousand dollars a mile or even as low as five thousand dollars a mile Mr Underwood how may I ask do you propose to finance this scheme if you don't mind Mr tinsman I prefer the word program or plan we propose a larger share of motor vehicle taxes and fees that money should not be raised by increasing our property taxes or by issuing bonds which would be an obligation against our property it should be raised by user charges on Motor Vehicles using all our highways you Farmers have been paying those user charges a good many years now for the privilege of using inferior roads and it's your turn to get some of it back I think Alf Moore has some figures on that point according to state tax figures Passenger cars and farm trucks today are paying a good deal more than their share of the highway building and repair bill anybody wants a breakdown of figures on it I got them right here now I own a 10 and a half truck and so do most of you folks and you want to know something it's our little old pickup truck the trademark of the American Farmer today that's paying a great big share of the country's truck tax bill and getting the least in return here are some statements on the subject from some pretty reliable sources the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation says that heavy trucks of over 20 tons in weight pay 8 cents per hundred ton miles of Road use and the typical Farm Duty size truck pays nearly 26 cents per hundred ton miles of Road use more than three times as much and Automobiles pay even more a representative of the National Grange told a committee in Congress and I'll quote him a farmer who has to go over a few miles of impassable roads to get to these fine paved roads may be just as much isolated as he would be if there were not a mile of paved Road in his County I've got more stuff like that from Engineers State Highway officials a senate subcommittee out in California Etc and so on if you want to see them stop by Wes Underwood's office or let us know by mail and we'll send them along Mr Moore are you attacking commercial trucks oh no no we're not saying commercial trucks should be ruled off the road everyone agrees the trucks are an important part of the transportation setup in America but we are raising certain questions about trucks how big they should be and how heavy loads they should carry how fast they should go and how much they should pay for use of the public highways the next issue of the Greenville press carried the full text of the resolution adopted by the meeting be it therefore resolved at the following program of Highway legislation be recommended at the next session of the state legislature one laws to adequately protect pavement and bridges against heavy loads in excess of their capacity and the limitation of axle loads at the 18 000 pound weight recommended by the American Association of State Highway officials and endorsed by many official agencies and two vigorous enforcement of the truck weight loss three a greater share of the money from State collected gasoline taxes and license fees for Rural Road Improvement I don't say we formed a new political party elected our own governor and state legislature and Presto every Farmer in the state found a brand new hardtop Road running past his place the following Sunday morning nothing of the sort Road improvements don't come that easy or that fast foreign but there were tangible results first on a Town and County level then on a state level we called on our state highway commissioner and stimulated him into giving more time and attention to the highway needs of us farmers then the governor appointed a new borough Highway committee to study conditions and make recommendations directly to him We join hands with City people who have similar troubles about streets that result of all this at its last session the state legislature earmarked an additional 10 million dollars of Motor Vehicle revenues to be spent each year exclusively on Farm roads well sir that's pretty much the story of what happened down here in Dexter County story is not over of course properly speaking it'll never be over long as there are people's needs to be filled in this case good roads and as long as people have to find ways to get those needs filled the main thing is we found that the phrase We the People is more than a political cliche out of the Preamble of the Constitution We the People turned out to be a living day-to-day reality much more influential and powerful than we ever dreamed we did it ourselves which shows it can be done not only here but any place where a man and woman can stand up and have a say in what's going on plus a vote to enforce it as long as we keep it that way we'll do all right down your way the same as here [Music] foreign [Music]