Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1893-06-01
col. PoPE.s Appeal.
Now In the Hands Of the Senate Comm
tee ON Agriculture


Now In the Hands Of the Senate Commit.
tee ON Agriculture.
The following is copy of the letter
addressed to Senator Hoar by Col A. A.
Pope, OF Boston, relative to the condi-
ton OF roads in the farming districts.
Mr.. Hoar had the document read in
open session of the senate, and it was
then referred to the committee on ag-
rlculture which, we trust, will act on
its suggestions:
| Permit me to call your attention to
the resolution passed by the senate,
April last, directing the committee on
agriculture and forestry to investigate
the condition of the agricultural inter
ests of the United States. and, if found
depressed, to ascertain the causes and
inquire into the proper remedy.
Il beg leave to suggest that one of
the most potent causes of the depres-
sion of the agricultural interests of the
, country is the wretched roads of the
| farming districts.
AT the twelfth annual session of the
National Farmers congress of the
U oited States, held at Lincoln, Neb.,
November 1924, 1892, it was stated:
throughout the country economical road i'm
p-ovement would save ESQ 600 600 per year in
the transportation OF farm products alone.
There would be other financial gains. BY per-
hitting the farmer to market q good part OF his
surplus during the winter and early spring. in
stead OF his being compelled to market it near
~ all while field work is possible, two million
of the twenty million draft animals in the coun-
try could be dispensed with, and these two
million animals are worth t170, 900, while TO
feed them for one year costs 81 600, 0OO
Among other advantages Of good roads over
poor ones are that heavier loads can be drawn.
and drawn faster, and the difference in the sell
ing price OF produce, If carried in a wagon over
q smooth road for one hour, and the same prod
uce carried over a rough road for three hours
IS the difference, oftentimes, between profit
md loss.
ALLOW me to remind you that high
ways and turnpike roads have repeated
ly been the subject of investigation in
parliament, and the report of COLL
mittee of the house of commons in 1911
contains much that may be applied to-
day to the subject of roads in the
United States:
1.-THE many important advantages to be de-
rived from amending the highways and turn
pike roads of the kingdom need hardly to be
dwelt upon. Every individual in it would
thereby find his comforts materially incre ased
and his interests greatly promoted. By the
Improvement of our roads every branch of our
agricultural, commercial and manufacturing
industries would be materially benefited
Every article brought to our market would be
diminished in price; the number of horses
would be SO much reduced that by these and
othe. retrenchments the expense of five million
(pounds) would be annually saved to the pub
lie. The expense of repairing roads and the
wear and tear of carriages and horses would
be essentially diminished; and thousands of
acres, the produce of which is now wasted in
feeding unnecessary horses, would be devoted
to the production of food for man. In short
the public and private advantages which would
result from efecting that great object-the i'm
provement Of our highways and turnpike roads
are OF the greatest value, though from their
being spread over a wide surface, and available
IN various ways, such advantages will not be
apparent as those derived from other
sources of improvement Of more restricted
and less general nature.
Permit me to further remind YOU
that the Massachusetts, highway COM
mission, in its report recently SUBJ
m!tted to the legislature, stated that
the annual loss to the commonwealth
from bad roads is at least $1,000, 900,
and that this sum would be sufficient
to place in good condition the principal
highways of the state. The cost of
road built on scientific principles in
many cases is less than that of road
constructed on unscientific principles,
and the cost of the maintenance of a
good road is trifling compared with the
cost of maintaining a poor one.
1.-The bill making appropriation for
the agricultural department for the
fiscal year ending June so, 1894, con-
taips clause relative to investigating
the best methods of roadmaking
throughout the United States, but this
clause does not empower the secretary
to investigate and report upon the
pecuniary advantages of good roads to
the farmers, nor upon the burdens that
are laid upon agricultural interests by
bad roads; therefore, permit me to sug-
gest that a subcommittee be appointed |
and be instructed to make an extended |
tour throughout this country for the |
purpose of investigating and reporting |
upon the subject of wagon roads in re-
lation to the agricultural interests of |
the country, because bad roads are the !
direct cause of hundreds of millions of |
dollars being annually lost to the farm
ing communities"