The Iuka vidette. (Iuka, Miss.) 1894-1912, 1894-10-04

first cost and subsequent maintenance?
AS an illustration of this we submit an
estimate which we have prepared for
, improving 175 miles, being the road
mileage. at the present maintained, in
the township of Yarmouth, in the
county of Elgin, which is the closest
to u.s.
US miles cost 81 500 per mile j. s3l5 900 %
Equal annual payments per cent,
J Maintenance geo per mile 49,. 49,. $500 90
Total yearly payment. ............ 2i1l6 IS
Present system, including statute la
Dor ut Slper day ....,........,....... 1000 90
Thirty years actual yearly rate.... 127I6 As
seI7l8 45
Total acreage, in township, $1,000
Assessed value, SO, 700 600; per 100 acres,
$3.50. Estimated actual value, "a
100000. Extra rate required for annual
| payment, AZ mills. Estimated increase
| in value of property, 10 per cent,
| 800, 900. y
In constructing IT'S miles of stone
road, 80 per cent. of s157.5oo would
be expended for labor that could be
:. performed by the ratepayers; this
would equal 1928 for each 100 acres.
The roads would cost $4,000. OF
which Sl57, SOC would be spent in the
township. The property would be in.
creased in value S400, 900. Taking
these figures into consideration, the
township would be benefited to the
extent of S242, 800 over and above the
cost of construction of the road. 10
estimating the increased value, we are
satisfied that we have placed it at a
very low figure, furnishing. as the
roads will, sure means of transporta,
ton every day in the year. which must
prove the profit of the Investment to
the farmer, to the merchant and to the
commerce of the world.
| The reasons for this are many and
various Fertility being constant, it
Is the accessibility of market that fixes
, the value of tillable land. 1t is the
| facilities for transportation afforded
by her network of railways that has
! given Ontario her wealth of agricul.
! ture. Without such means the vast
fesources of our country wouldebe al.
paost valueless. And so we claim that
the. same law by which Q railroad
gives value to real estate will. also
/ hold when hard road completes tho
transportation system from farm to
| shipping station,.' For all practical
! purposes, that piece of land has been
moved several miles nearer. the mar,
! .kets of the, world, and at times it has
been rescued from the dead sea of des
Collation. and anchored to present civ,
- ilization. Its fortunate possessor, nc
longer at the mercy of the barometer
! can GO: where hs- pleases and com,
when he gets ready. His produce he
can sell when the prices are best, anc
is not like his mud-bound brethren
compelled to wait tho pleasure of sun
shine and shower and then in som.
halcyen days, when the roads art
good, is not like him compe He'd t.
force his product upon an unwilling
market at whatever price crowded
warehouse, elevator or railroad may
+ dictate. His teams, instead of being q
heavy expense, and ofllittle, use from
four to six months In the year can be
profitably employed every day, and
that. too, with less wear and tear o!
vehicles, aess loss of time. and less
danger of crippled horses than in at
tempting to fathom bottomless some.
thing sometimes called public high,
way. True, you can sometimes haul
in winter on dirt roads just as we'll as
any other, but the benefits to be de
rived from this are largely offsetby
the fact that such state Of affairs il.
SO uncommon, SO unlocked for thai
you are totally unprepared to take ad
vantage of it. Besides, it is only 8
question OF a few degrees of the Their
mometer, when the hard frozen dirt
returns to its original Elasticity
and the so called road becomes
neither thing of beauty nor joy for
ever, nor even fit associate to the
progress, the civilization and the
christianity of the nineteenth century,
But with the change to solid roads all
uncertainty vanishes. The distance ia
market is constant factor every dag
in the year. No paralysis of business
no stagnation of. trade, no slow colleg
tons, because the farmer is stuck jim
the mud. He has taken his rightfIl
place in the business world and is in,
creasipg profits by decreasing cost. OF
production. His hauling is done when
crops do not need, or on account of the
weather, cannot receive his attentions,
1t is done at less expense as the loads
are larger and are haufed.in less time.
He receives for the product of his skill
and toll that. price allotted by that
supreme law of finance, supply and de.
mand, and is no longer,atahe mercy OF
greedy SPECTATORS, and glutted mar
xets. And if the -eost dfthese roads be
not in excess of what is absolutely
necessary, and be at all fairly dis,
tributed among those benefited, it is
our firm belief'that many miles could
be constructed at a direct financial
profit to say nothing of the mental and
moral Improvement which might arise
from the closer association of village
and country life, to say nothing of the
fact too eftenf forgotten in this rush
ing age, &bat man, is not a mere ma
chine successful most, as most she
gains, and boards of gold, but is ma de