The Importance of the Road.

I do not think that any of us really understand what roads mean to the world. When we reflect, taking the sea also as land, that everything we can see or touch, except the firmament above us, is either land or the product of labour applied to land, we see how important the road becomes. Our houses, furniture, food, clothes, jewellery, everything, all come from the land, but page 71 we could not have any of these things except through the assistance of the road. The road is the first requisite for the application of labour to and the utilisation of the land, and I believe I am right in saying that our prosperity will be in exact proportion to our transit facilities. It is because I believe this that I attach so much importance to the railway question, and have striven so hard to get railways worked on sound principles.

It goes without saying that I shall exert myself to the utmost to procure the adoption of the Stage System.