Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1883-07-11

The Economy OF kssDeng them In Kevaar.
The economy Of keeping public roads in
. good stats Of repair 4 . subject that has
ffequsotly received attentiOn in theao
columns, and the authorized remarks from
the Country Gentleman are SO entirely to tho
point that we commend them to the care.
full attention of all who have an interest in
the subject:
"We are not aware that any estimate has
ever been made of the actual cost of the
public roads of the United States, or that
the expense of providing them has ever
been attempted by any bureau of statistics,
but We make the rough estimate that they
have cost at least seven hundred million
dollars-probably much more-while un-
known millions are annually expended in
attempting to keep them in repair. If the
money were only we'll applied, it would be
an expenditure of great profit and econo-
my, as everything which the farmer does
off his own land is greatly affected by
their condition. All his many loads of
surplus farm products are drawn over them
and it makes some difference to
him and to his horse whether those loads
are conveyed easily over hard, smooth
surfaces, or dragged through mud and
against stones with severe labor to tho
team, fatigue to the driver, and wear and
breakage to the wagon. Every. week he
and his family, more or less, 60 to the
village for numberless errands, or to
church on the Sabbath, and the good or
bad condition of the roads seems to
affect every fibre, pleasantly or unpleas
antly, of their feeling or nervous sensation.
On an average. there at least twenty miles
of travelling each week for the members
oc Ia Co.
ference of five dollars week, everything
ing is done over nice comfortable road or
through mud holes, sloughs, ruts and un-
bridged streams, or against stones. Five
dollars a week amount to $3.50 year, a
snug little sum to tax the farmer with :;
and when this sum is multiplied by at
five million owners or drivers of horses
carriages. wagons, heavy teams, &C., the
aggregate cost would be something over .
billion dollars! Does any one say this
is too large an estimate Then
produce in detail and show in what
particulars but do not blindly and ignor-
antly say it is wrong without careful ex-
animation. Suppose, however, we admit
that it is double the reality, is not the six
hundred millions every year, expended
directly or indirectly by our people, worthy
of more attention Oil the part of patriots,
statesmen, politicians, Office seekers, pub
lic-spiritsd men, writers for newspapers,
agricultural journalists, and, IN fact, of
everyone who passes over 4 road?
$50 long IS our public highways in most
parts of the country are made and repaired
with so little interest and so little thought,
we must suffer an enormous loss. We
would like to ask how many of our readers
who drive or ride over tho common roads
never see loose stone, or q fixed stone,
to strike, jolt and batter every passing
wheel, or who do not see hundreds of them
which might be removed with the ex-
penditure of small portion of the
road tax ? How many never saw sods and
muck scraped into the road bed, to form a
highway or turnpike, which would be ex-
cellent for corn and potatoes, but which
when worked into mass of mud,
or cut into ruts foot deep. con
stitute strange object to be called
a "road?" How many never saw along
tho roadsides, thrifty patches of thistles,
burdocks, mulleins, jOhnswOrt, nettles,
&C., &C., ready to seed all the neighbors'
fields Until We can find such happy
persons in the majority, We hope more at
tention may be given to correcting these
evils, although We would not lessen the
praiseworthy attention which is now freely
accorded to enterprises and interest of
almost infinitely less importance, but good
in their small Way'