Sullivan republican. [volume] (Laporte, Pa.) 1883-1896, 1893-12-08
VALUE OF GOOD ROADS.
RESULTS OF AN INQUIRY DIRECT
ED TO INDIANA FARMERS.
Profit in Dollars and Cents From
Improved Highways, and Annual
Loss Due to Poor Roads.

Loss Due to Poor Roads.
N n ANY persons are accustomed,
MI when approached with
v | project for road improve
ment, to put the matter off
as they would luxury until better
times" While they acknowledge that
better public highways would be very
nice thing at certain seasons of the
year it never seems to have dawned
upon them that to improve the roads
would be an investment, just like rails
ing higher grade stock or using i'm
proved and labor-saving machinery,
which would soon pay for itself. I'm
fortunately this class of people has
been in the majority both in town and
country, where solid roads are most
needed, and their want of progress has
seriously clogged many an enterprise
of value to the community.
1t has long been known in general
way that no better outlay of few hun
dred dollars could be made by the far
mer or country merchant than in build
ing rock or gravel roads, but attempts
to reduce the practical value to dol
gentleman in Northern Indiana re-
Gently undertook to find out what the
farmers themselves thought of the
matter. In answer to his inquiries
letters were received from farmers in
forty counties of the State, some of
which were provided with turnpike
and some not. Some of them took a
very pessimitic view of the road i'm
provement. sand some were unduly elat-
ed over the possession of splendid high
ways. The average was taken on the
various propositions, however, just as
the replies came in, and the result is
extremely interesting.
The farmers estimated that by rem
son of the roads already improved their
lands had increased in value an aver
age of $6.4 an acre, one enthusiast
were improved the increase was esti.
mated at 50 an acre, SO the increase
of value alone on each section of land
would amount to $500, or enough to
macadamize four miles, which is twice
as much road as section contains.
That is one phase of the question. The
annual loss due to poor roads was
placed at 76 1-5 cents an acre, which
is manifestly too low. Accepting it as
correct, however, the loss from poor
roads in five years would amount to
S2432 for each section, or enough to
build two miles of good road at $1216
each, which is considerably more than
the average cost per mile III Indiana.
The actual money value of good roads,
obtained by adding the loss for not
having them to the gain if you did, is
$4,000 for every $40 acres, and increases
by nearly $500 every year.
These are facts, ice-cold and not pos
sible to contest With good roads the
farmer would make great economy
of time and force in transportation be-
tween farm and market; he would be
able to take advantage of market t1uc-
tuations in buying and selling; he
could do the hauling of farm products
and purchased commodities in the time
of greatest leisure the wear and tear
upon horses, harness and vehicles
would be greatly reduced. The mar
ket value of his farm would be greatly
enhanced, so that, at the lowest esti-
mate, his 800 acres would be worth
$2SS0 more, while at least $3.50 would
be saved every year. These are the
facts brought out by Mr.. W. G. Latta
in the journal known as Paving, and
they are worthy the closest attention
by farmer and townsman alike. KAN
sas City Times.