The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1878-03-15
COCHRAN, Chairman.
III. A. MEETZE.
On part of Senate.
S. DIBBLE.
G.. MULLER.
j. G. BLUE.
On part of House.
THE COST OF BAD ROADS.

THE COST OF BAD ROADS.
The Enormous Tdrat;on Imposed for tic
PrOilcyc Of Raiiny Over Bad Roads
Our People Dear It Wiz perfect Equa-
ntmHy.
Extract From Professor sandforls Address Before
Georgia Agricultural Socety.l
We complain heavily Of Radical taxation
for the last twelve years, and we have abun-
dant and just reason for complaint, but 1
venture the assertion, that we pay more for
the privilege of riding over bad roads, than
for our national, State and county taxes
combined; and this point, think, is sus-
ceptible Of demonstration. Now, let us
see where these taxes como in. Here is a
farmer, who, for the comfort of himself
and family, invest 5000 in buggy. Now,
on system Of hard, smooth, wellgraded
roads, this buggy ought to last, in good run
the annual outlay for bugges is $50. But
what are the real facts in this case? Does
the buggy last ten years? On our rough
and uneven roads, with ruts and holes into
which the wheels are constantly falling with
the momentum Of sledge-hammers, we doubt
whether the life of the average buggy ex-
tends beyond five years. If this be true,
then there is an annual expense Of $40 for
buggies-S20 more per annum than in the
case of good roads. This extra $40 per
anaatn Is, to all iatents apd purposes, q tax;
for the privilege of. using bad roads. And
now multiply this tax for every man in the
State Of Georgia, who rides in buggy, and
what fearful array of figures does it bring
out; tax for the privilege of bad roads
What | have said in regard to the buggy,
holds good with reference to every class of
vehicles ; from the 5000 pleasure carriage,
down through the list Of road wagons, carts
ana humber convcyances. venture to
say, that If we could get at the extra cost
Of carriages, buggics, wagons, etc.. with the
wear and tear Of harness, and the unneces-
sary consumption of horses and mules, we
should be astonished at the huge amount in
dollars and cents, that this fearful array of
items would foot up; to say nothing of per-
sonal discomfort, and the wear and tear Of
patience, which cannot be reckoned in dol
lars and dimes, but which seriously dctract
from enjoyment.
Again, another heavy tax which we pay
for bad roads is this, that we are compelled
to keep number of horses and pay an
amount for their support which would not
be ccessary under Il system of good roads
1t is fundamental maxim with eminent
road makers, such as McAdam, Telford and
Stephenson, that good road should be per-
.fccty lcOel, or nearly so as the nature of the
country will allow. Trustwor rthy expert
mcnts by these engineers have shown that
when road rises one foot in height for
twenty of its length horse can draw con-
tinuously only one-har tho load that he can
on level; and, therefore, on such road
tco horses will be needed to do the work
Of one. Now, take the common county and
neiGhborhood roads in our State. How
many of them can you find that have as
good grade as one in twenty? How very
frequently do we find grade of one in ten,
or even as high as one in five? If horse
can pull only haIf his proper load, when
the grade Of the road rises one in twenty,
Of course when it rises one in ten he can
draw but one.forM of his proper load
And it is an undcniablc fact that many por-
tions Of our roads do have this injurious
grade. What is the consequence If the
load of tho horse is adapted to his power of
drawing on the level road it follows that
when he comes to hill rising one in twenty,
or still worse, of one in ten, his strength is
over taxed, he becomes prcmaturely worn
out and there is a consumption of horse
flesh which has to be resupplied with new
horses; and new horses, in their last analysis,
mean simply mon,y. On the contrary, if
the load Of the horse is accommodated to
what he can easily draw up slope of one
in twenty, or of one in ten, then he is un-
dcrworked on the level portions of the road,
and an excess Of horses must be maintained
to supply this inequality of work. 1 think
it moderate estimate to say that, taking
all the farms in our State, at least onc;ffM
more horses arc fed and maintained to do
the hauling over bad roads than would