The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1894-01-18
GOV. FLOWER ON GOOD ROADS.
The Farmer and His Market Must Be
Brought Into Closer Contact.

DTOdSlI i'tbO SiOoS' OOi'NS'SN'
Governor Flower. of New York,
before the Orleans County Agricul
tural society, had the following TO
say concerning the improvement of
highways:
cannot help thinking that it is
the question of cost which frightens
the farmer when he begins consid-
ering the subject of good roads. 1t
is too true that many of our far
mers are reduced to that condition
where the paying of an extra dollar
of taxation is harder than having Il
tooth extracted. But the average
farmer il too sensible Il man to COM
plain of taxation if the results are
going to put more money III his
pocket and make his life more COM
Portable. And it may take some
time to prove conclusively to him
that this is exactly what good roads
will do, but when he is convinced
he will be one of the most earnest
ritators in the movement.
1t has been shown ny many sta
tistics and various calculations that
good roads are cheaper than bad
roads. I tried to show in my annual
message to the legislature last
January that the counties of the
state now expend in actual money
ara in DAVIS labor valued at 81 a
day for each man about S3,000,000
year upon their roads, exclusive
Of the time and money spent on
road and street improvement IN
villages and cities. This is an
average of $4,000 for each county.
That amount Of monev scientifically
expended each year would build
over seven miles of good macadam
road at cost of $1,000 per mile.
Or if the county preferred to bulld
roads faster This annual eXpendi-
lure would pay the interest and pro-
vide small amount for the sink
ing fund on an issue Of bonds suf-
fcient to construct over 40 miles
of m" cadam loads.
/ venture to say there IS not Il
county in this state, which, if it
would bond itself for $1,000, 000
and invest the money in the sclen-
tifc construction Of highways,
would not in five years have in
creased the valuation Of its real es-
tate twic" the amount Of the invest
meilt. But that would be only a
small part of tine gain. The greater
part would be in the saving of wagon
transportation--a saving IN We
hicles, II saving in horses, saving
in time, saving in labor, a saving
in RISKS, d SAYING in markets.
Every farmer knows that bad
roads sometimes keep him from
town when prices Of gram are high
and thereby cost him Il good profit.
Every farmer knows how much
larger a load his team would pull
if tt roads were lard and smooth.
Every farmer knows what a consid-
cradle item in his annual expenses
is the repair Of wagons and harness
whose strength and safety have
been crippled by bad roads. Every
farmer knows how mucn more it
costs to keep three or four horses
instead of one or two, as he might
with equal service with system OF
good roads. Every farmer knows
that his farm would increase in
volue if by good highways it could
be brought into speedy communica-
tion with village or city. All these
things our farmers know when they
think of them, and they know that
the sum Of these pecuriarv advan-
tages IN favor of good roads would
vastly outweigh the cost of procur-
ing them.
But in spite of these advantages,
which | have heard or seen no man
deny and the demonstration of
which is easy, good roads are slow
in coming, and we cling to our old
fashioned habit of once or twice IA
year blowing up the sides of high
way into the middle and calling
that road improvement, We have
reached stage of development in
this state where a network Of smooth
highways is absolutely necessary for
future progress. Our cities are be-
coming so big and require so much
food that our farms must be brought
INTO close contact with them or the
farms of other states which have
good roads or better railroad facil-
tiles in the agricultural regions will
usurp our markets.
Real Estate Transfers.
II. G. Davis ct al. to Wilbur c..
Jones, 6,415 so. #. of ground in
Deer Park; 800.
NJ. l.. Scott ct al. to John M
Falkenstine, lots Nos. 3, 4, 5, 6. 10,
II and II of the subdivision of lot
No. Sc in Wilson's Addition to the
town of Oakland: $525.