Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1894-08-31
70 BUILD ROADS WITHOUT MONEY.
she Cost to Fall Equally Upon the Users,
the County and the state.


the County and the state.
In an address delivered before the
southern immigration and industrial
congress Roy Stone of the United
States department Of agriculture urged
the importance of good roads as neces-
sity TO prosperous farming. His remarks
apply with force 20 all sections OF the
country. He said in part The main
question is, How can people having no
surplus capital build good roads: For
an answer, we must 90 where they have
done ii successfully and study the
methods adopted. We can certainly fol-
low these methods; possibly we may
improve upon them. First, we must
study all the economies possible In con-
structiOn; second, we must find out al!
the parties 20 be benefited and see that
each bears his proper share OF the cost,
whether or not lac belongs 20 the imme-
diatc locality or even 10 the present
generation of men; third, we must look
into the local questions of road materials
and transportation, and into all the
latest Improvements in road implements
and machinery
But who is 70 do all this: And what
brings US 10 the first practical step III
general road improvement; Namely
that every state should have perma-
nent commission composed Of citizens OF
the highest character TO undertake this
investigation and recommend the neces-
sary measure To the Legislature, 70 watch
the workings of those measures when
adopted and TO secure any possible i'm
provcmcnt in them.
Taking it for granted, however, that
the best wisdom of the state will shape
its legislation for road improvement
and that science and skill, ingenuity and
business talent will all combine 70 pro-
duce the best results at the least outlay,
we must come 10 actual figures of cost
and definite plans for financing before
the final answer 10 our question can be
given.
Ono serious hindrance TO the extend
ed building of hard roads has been the
costliness of some of those built and
the general overestimate Of the cost nee
cssary. An expense of 50, 900 per mile
is beyond the possible means of most
country districts, but our inquiries have
developed many cases where good stone
roads are being built for onefourth of
that sum. The stone roads of Canaan
daiga, n. Y, cost only 5000 per mile
They are not wide roads, but are heav-
lily stoned, and they are so good that
when | was there, in the midst Of a
January thaw, the farmers living on
them We're hauling two tons of hay on
"A two horse wagon, while the neighbOr
ing dirt roads We're practically impass-
able.
Wide roads are not required in an or
binary farming section. A single track
Of stone, with an earth track alongside
is in many respects better
Without going into details / judge
that such a road can be built on the
average in the southern states, with
paid labor, for 81 per rod. Surprising
the road to be built with such labor and
financed upon the state aid plan adopt
ed in New Jersey, as modified III an act
lately passed by the assembly of New
York, the cost would fall equally upon
the benefit district, the county and the
state, the benefit district including the
habitual users of the road and estimated
TO extend an average Of one mile on
each side of it, The lands of the users
would be assessed III proportion to their
benefits for One-third of the cost, pay
able in 10 annual installments, with in
terest, beginning one year after the COM
pletion Of the road, the county mean
while advancing the money, and having
authority to issue short bonds for this
purpose and long ones for its own share.
The cost would be 81 for each acre of
the benefit districts, and the users one
third, spread over 10 years would be
less than cents per acre yearly, includ.
ing interest The county would recoup
itself largely by the saving in cost of
road repairs, and the state by the in
crease in taxable values.