Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1872-12-04
FARM AND HOME.
BETTER ROADS.

We greatly need better system of pub
lie roads in East Tennessee, Most of our
principal highways are in bad condition,
have been for years and will continue to be
as long as our present system of keeping
them up remains unchanged. AS our law
now stands, the men who are required to
work upon the road are the very class who
havethe least interest in keeping them in
good order. 1t would naturally be sup
posed that the landholders, the men who
have farm products to haul on the public
roads are the men interested in keeping
them in condition. Weshould suppose that
the manufacturers and trading public are
more concerned in good roads than men
who never have q load of produce to trans
port. Every consumers interested in hav-
ing better roads. Every produceris concern
ed in having better roads. Every body, in
short, would be benefited by system of
highways that would cheaper transporta-
ton. Over very many of our roads it is
impossible for our average teams to haul
over twelve hundred pounds. To do this
well from some of our neighboring county
towns round trip requires three days
Count the time of the team and driver and
the amount transported and the cost is ru-
inous. 1t falls either upon the producer
or consumer, To the farmer who values
his time the extra cost is put upon the ar
tcles transported to market. In most
cases the burden falls upon the consumer
who pays so much extra for his meat, veg
etables, flour or butter and eggs. We might
enlarge upon this point, but it is clear
to every sensible reader that if producers
from the rich coves and vallies of Sewer
county could have first-clas5 road over
which they could haul to our market two
thousand pounds of produce instead of
one thousand or twelve hundred and make
the trip in two days instead of three, the
gain would be to both them and us, for
they could afford to sell us their produce
cheaper and yet make greater profit. So it
is with roads, in every direction. Good farms
in interior counties are unsaleable or sale
able at reduced prices, simply because the
difficulty to get into market what is raised
on them is almost insurmountable. Far
mers, to thrive best, should have
markets convenient where they could
exchange their products at the least
possible cost. Every farmer appreciates
the truth of what we are saying. He knows
that after he has worked hard to raise an
abundant crop, his next great trouble is to
get it into market in good season, and at
little expense and trouble. If he has got to
spend kweek in hauling his grain
to market, where it ought to take but two
days, he loses four days for plOughing or
repairing his lands and fences. AS it is, he
not only loses valuable time, but breaks
down his wagons, harness and teams, try
ing to travel roads that are not even fit for
horsepaths.
The State owes it to the farmers and to
theconsumers to build better roads. Every
body that wants road now has it and the
result is none of our roads are properly
laid out or worked. A reader of the
CHRONICLE, one accustomed to team on
our Kingston road, says he can haul over
it now with his team about twelve hun
dred feet of green pine plank, whereas be-
fore the grade was changed or the road inn
proved, he couldn't well haul much over
half of it. SO it would be everywhere, il
the proper system was lhauSurateu' we
must change our road law so as to make
the men who have an interest in keeping
up good roads build them. AS every tax
payer is in the end interested in good high
ways, so he ought in some way be COM
PEELED to help build good ones. The whole
people are interested in this matter anc
they should all contribute TO build then
and sustain them. Our present road sys
tenn is crying evil and some changes TO
the better are demanded.