The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1898-04-23
~ ,,,,+ ~, with the extravaganza and

Inconvenience Of mud tracks over
which they do their hauling. The
population of Virginia in 1890 was
i ,655, $50, and it had only $50 miles
If macadamized road. Said Mr.. Cole
man: ) =
abstract of the United States for 1898
that our principal crops of corn,
wheat, potatoes and tobacco amount
to 1885,, 1872 tons of 5000 pounds
each. I omit a|l other products, such
as lumt er, minerals and other crops,
as an offset against that part OF the
crops which may be consumed at
home, and taking 2000'pounds as an
average load and ten miles as the av-
erage haul would give 1865, 500 ten
miles, which at twenty-five cents per
ton mile, represents s3,164, 49, as the
total cost of hauling all products to
the railroad or market. Now if un-
der the proposed condition of good
highways the average load can be in
creased to even 1000 pounds then we
are again paying each year 81, 5S2,'
227.50 for our bad roads. But if we
can haul the load of 1000 pounds then
we affect a saving'in cost of $6l2, S9l,
and that amount must be charged to
the account Of bad roads.
"Then taking the assessed value OF
all vehicles in the State at $3,051, 1888,
and estimating annual depreciation
under present conditions at 10 pei
cent, it is perfectly reasonable to as'
sumo that under the proposed .condi'
ton per cent. would cover depreci
alton, thus giving another charge Of
$151, $500.
"And, finally, taking the assessed
value Of horses and mules ct $13, 1885,
932 and allowing that with good roads
can reduce the present cost of feeding
and depreciation of stock to an extent
represented by three per cent. o.
value, we have $4O4, 877.96. Then w
may sum up the annual cost Of bad
roads in Virginia as follows:
To interest on depreciation
land. 81 ,523, $3.50 6!
To additional cost Of hauling. l,5S2,227 Il
70 loss Of time hauling. ....... 612,891 On
10 depreciation vehicles. ..... Isl, 1856 q
TO depreciation horses and 49, ~, A.
| mules. ,a;. 4U4, 61 "
Chargeable to bau roads. ~: .s4,275,463 81
professor Ely has estimated tina
the loss per horse per anaum on ac
count of bad roads amounts in tn
United States to SIS, and figuring OF
that basis for the State of Virginia w
would have 290,567 horses at $15, o.
$4,358, sos, as the cost Of bad roads
or $l4. 70 for each horse instead of $15
I have thought these figures too higl
until made these calculations, bu
I am now convinced that they are per
fectly reasonable.
''If my reasoning on this subject O
the cost of bad roads is correct, W
are losing in this State $11, 1880 TO,
each day in the year, or $2.58 per an
mum for each unit in the population
If we had tho use of the money charge
able to bad roads we could construc
ITO miles Of the best class Of macad
am roads each year, and in fifteel
years our road system would be o.
plane with that Of France.
"Accordingssto these figures our ba
roads arc costing us $2,478,918.97
more than the total tax collected il
this State, which, in 1898, only amount
ed to 81, 1896, 545.02. This invisibl
but insidious tax is none the less fata
to our prosperity because it is no
gathered by the tax collector. On it
list there are no delinquents, an
there can be no evasion of payment.
/ No man who has reflected upon tn
subject, believes these figures are ex
aggerated. The cost in Virginia
proportionally as great in Kentucky
though we have many times moreg goo
roads. But the whole State shoul
have its highways improved. Itwoul
cost money, but it would cost indef
nitely less than the present wretche
system Of highways in most Of til
counties. Besides, it would add i'm
measurably to the charms and attrae
tiveness Of rural life, would check til
drift of population to the cities, an
would elevate the farming class in tn
social and pecuniary scale as nothin
else can.-Louisville Courier journal
How to Stop Coughing.