Alpena argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1893-1909, 1893-07-05
Good Roads.
cord.

or in other words that it will be
worth what it will cost. We have
all the powers requisite now to 60
ahead with the work of any county
when the people of the county so
will. When the people are salts
fed on the economic point, there
can be no doubt about their going
ahead.
There should be no serious diff
Guilty in satisfying them on this
point. The economic advantages
of road reform and improvement
are no longer matters of guesswork,
or a speculation. They have been
demonstrated. New Jersey, to it's
credit as state, be is said, has run
the risk involved in making the ex-
pertinent and is now reaping the
reward of demonstration. 1t did
not stop to inquire. whether good
roads could be made to pay, but
went ahead to see what the fact
was. IL has found that they do
pay and the rest of the states can
profit by it's experience.
In the June number of Good
Roads, a magazine devoted to the
cause of road improvement, there
are half dozen papers OH the sue
cess which has been met with in
New Jersey in the matter of road
reform; and the facts furnished
are full of interest. The principal
article on New Jerseys Progress"
is by President Burroughs, of the
State Road Improvement Associa-
ton; and the first fact he states is
one that may well arrest the atten-
ton of every farmer. This fact is
that before the building of the New
Jersey turnpikes twenty-five bas-
kets of potatoes were considered a
fair load from the farm he occupies.
After the turnpikes We're built fifty
to sixty baskets were considered no
more of "a load than the twenty-five
were before. Since the stone road
was built the load carried with ease
is from eighty-five to 100 baskets.
A similar, if not greater saving has
been found in hauling heavy loads
other than potatoes. Clearly an
improvement which shows such def
mite, tangible results in the way
of saving is worth paying out
money for.
AS to the cost of these improve
ments the writer gives some detail
ed figures which are so dependent
on the cost of the material and
freight that they have no special
value here; but one statement made
shows that good deal Of expense
can be safely incurred. One of the
counties of the state issued $780,
600 in bonds for the purpose of
improving its roads and put down
about sixty miles of stone roads,
averaging sixteen feet in width;
and although they are paying a
tax in addition to all other taxes
to meet the interest of 4 per cent
on these bonds, the tax rate in the
county is lower than it was before
roads were built.
In another paper in the same
number of the magazine referred
to, is shown what has been done in
Union Co., New Jersey, through
improvement of the roads. In 1880
the road act, known as the Miller
law, was passed, providing that the
roads might be improved in GER
tain manner specified, one-third of
the expense to be paid by the cities,
towns, townships or boroughs,
through which the Improvement
was made, and the other two-thirds
by the county at large. There was
a provision in the law for borrow
ing money to the extent of $780,
600 and raising $4,000 more by d.
rect tax. The bonds were issued at
4 per cent and sold at a small prem
ium; and the $4,000 tax was ex-
tended over two years. The roads
have now been built two years and
some of them three. Two years
before the roads were built, in 1887,
the tax rate of the county, not in
Guiding school, township or any
other tax, was 60. I'm 1902, after
the expenditure of s350,0e0 for
roads, il was 80. The valuation of
the property of the county in 1880,
the year the roads were commenced,
was S27,9l8.OOO. In 1902, two
years after the road was finished,
the valuation was $31 ,780, 40, an
increase of nearly 100000. II is