Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-07-14

the aggregate of nearly $3.50 100000 per
year Add wear and tear OF wagons
and harnesses, si00.00oo0; deprecated
value Of farm lands s2,0oc,oo0.co. TOTAL
$3.50, 10000.
Making the utmost allowance, In favor
OF the farmer. and granting the necessary
for the liberal use OF horsepower III
the maintenance of agricultural franc.
IL is easily certain that the farmers VI
this country are keeping at least Z,Uo'op
of horses more than would pe
necessary to do all the hauling between
farm and market, II only the principai
roads were brought TO q good conditioh:
Assume that each OF these horses ID ie.
the ordinary army ration OF nay anu
oats. II requires 1i,OO tons OF nay vi
fodder and 10000 bushels OF oats per DAY
70 feed these unnecessary animals. when
themselves have money value OF plo'
OO0OJO The value OF hay and oats ted
TO these horses per day Ia about S5VovV'
or something like sl1lOOo,oO per year.
FOREIGN SYSTEMS OF THE ROADS
IL the road question Of this country
were placed in the hands OF govern
ment officials and they were sent 10
the European countries 10 study up the
matter a good deal could be learned.
France Is a nation Of fine roads. Ihese
roads are not built by farmers VINO
manner followed largely In this country
nor by the infantile implements en-
ployed here. The government manages
the whole affair by a system as caretui
az the rules which regulate our mint
There Is a chief official, who is respon-
sible for the main roads OF the french
republic, and through his subordinates
is kept constantly Informed OF tne conul-
tious of all the roads. The work is SUD
divided among hundreds OF superintend-
ents and assistants and their assistants
before the actual workmen are reached.
In Belgium also the principal roads
are built and maintained by the Generai
Government. and in 1880 In the nine
provinces of Belgium over ~ per cent
OF the high roads were or TINS Class
the entire length Of bigh-class roads
being Alb English miles. out OF total
of 52Ss of roads OF all classes. inc
best roads OF Belgium are in the pro-
yinces Of Namur. Liege, and Luxem-
bourg, and permanent employees are
kept on the roads under the direction OF
the chief engineer Of the province, Tor
the purpose of insuring the observance
Of the regulations and looking AFTER
the constant repair Of the highways
In Baden the main roads are under
the superyison OF the State authorities,
and are cared for with a studious regard
for the requirements OF the farmer anu
inland travel. Under the law relating
TO roads I'm Baden, the duty OF NAM
tanning the road falls as follows: one
quarter each upon the town and county In
which the road Is situated. The remain
ing one half upon the State Treasury.
In Hesse-Darmstadt the roads are d.
ylded into two classes called State ROADS
and district roads, OF which the former
are n direct care and charge upon the
General Government, and when the dis
trict roads become SO important as to
require the attention Of State officials,
they can, under direction of the dis
trist assembly, be declared State roads.
Every district IS bound to appoint the
necessary officials connected with the
district roads These officials consist OF
a skilled person, who must be capable or
filling the Office of district overseer and
a proper force of laborers requisite for
the work in hand.
In Italy. Austria, and England, par
ticularly the latter. the roads are mag
nficent. OF course, these countries are
much smaller in area than the United
States, but each individual State could
at least partially accomplish what the
foreign nations. as a whole, do go well.
In all of the countries named cycling is
n pleasure second to nothing. Here II
often favors too strongly Of hard work.
particularly when some unknown country
district is ventured into.
But coming back to the original ad-
vice. let the 'cyclers and the farmers put
their joint shoulders TO the wheel and
keep turning 1t until good roads are ex-
tracted from the lottery Of legislation.
a SCORCHER.