The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1895-12-02
WHAT GOOD AND BAD COST.
An Official Document That Contains
Many Suggestive Facts.
Cost of Bad Roads-Figures Showing
Length and Amount of Haul in
Several Sections.

The Office of Road Inquiry, Depart
ment of Agriculture, Washington, has
just issued to its State agents a circular
letter containing matter which General
Stone, Special Agent in Charge, thinks
will be of value to them in informing the
people as to the facts and developments
OF the good road movement in the
United States. Perhaps no better way
car be adopted to get these facts before
the people than to publish General
Stones letter in full to his, the Califor-
mia, correspondent of the Road Inquiry
Office. The letter, as furnished to the
Record-Union by that correspondent,
is as follows:
The Office of Road Inquiry of the De-
partment of Agriculture has completed
an interesting investigation relating to
the traffic of the country roads in the
United States, the results of which will
be published as Circular No. 10 Of the
Office.
With the aid Of the Division of Stat
lStlcS Of the department, reports have
been gathered from about loo coun-
ties, giving the average length of haul
in miles, from farms to market or ship
ping points, the average weight of load
hauled, and the average cost per ton
per mile, and from this is deduced the
average cost per ton for the whole
length of haul.
These returns have been arranged in
groups of States, and the result shows
that the average length of haul in the
Eastern States is 90 miles; in the
Northern States, 60 miles; in the
Middle States, SS miles; in the Cotton
States, 126 miles; in the Prairie States,
S.S miles; in the Pacific Coast and
ATOI1nTai n States > miles and in the
United States 12.1 miles.
The average weight of load for two
horses in the Eastern States is LIS
pounds; Northern States, ., 1876 pounds;
Middle Southern States, 1,S69 pounds;
Cotton States, 1897 pounds; Prairie
States, 2409 pounds; Pacific Coast and
Mountain States, >, 1871 pounds, and the
United States 2,002 pounds
The average cost per ton of 1000
pounds per mile in the Eastern States is
81 cents; Northern States, y cents;
NIiddle-Southern States, 81 cents: Cot
ton States, % cents; Prairie States, -
cents; Pacific Coast and Mountain
States % cents, and the United States
% cents.
The average total cost per ton for the
whole length of haul: Eastern States,
81 50; Northern States, 81 Sc; Middle
Southern States, 81 -; Cotton States,
s. %; Prairie States. 81 81; Pacific
coast ana Mountain states, 81 l., anu
the United States So OF.
With these data it becomes possible
to obtain approximately the total cost
of the entire movement of farm prod
uCts and other classes of materials over
country roads.
Taking the census returns of the farm
products of the United States for 1890,
adding S per cent for the increase in five
years corresponding to the increase in the
previous ten years, finding the weights
OF the various articles and reducing the
total to tons of 1000 pounds, we have a
total weight of farm products for the
year 1895 of 1874, 227 tons.
Comparing the amounts by States.
Iowa leads with "a 2S7 900 tons; Illinois
comes next with p 000 600 tons; Kan
sas with 100000 Missouri, New
York, Ohio and Nebraska with 12,000,
GOO to 1900, 000 tons; Indiana and
Pennsylvania about 100000 tons;
Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin,
1000. 600 to S000,0 600 tons, and Texas,
Colorado, Kentucky and Tennessee
100000 to 5000, 600 tons.
No information is available as to the
amount of hay and grain consumed
uEon the farms where they are raised,
nor is there any return of large classes
of materials moved over the country
roads, among which are: Building ma
terials. including stone. lumber, brick,
lime anu SdiI, LGlICiiiS iIIeNlcI IetISs IOdO
materials-gravel, stone etc; fertil-
iZers-commercial and domestic, lime
and plaster; coal, ore and metals; straw
and fodder; home-killed meats and ami
mails driven to market gar
den products and grass seeds;
poultry and eggs; merchandise; farm
machinery.
1t is deemed safe, however, to offset
these various items against home-con-
sumed hay and grain, and so count the
equivalent of the total farm product as
being hauled on the public roads.
The Division Of Forestry of the de-
partment furnishes an estimate of for
est products as follows:
Annual cut of fuel $4,000, 100000 Gu