The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-01-23
DOES IT PAY TO BUILD GOOD
ROADS?
Greensboro Patriot.)

The above question can be answered
by carefully studying and noting the
effects produced upon the conditions OF
those among whom and for whom good
roads have been built We should then
compare our conditions with theirs If
our conditions are Strikingly similar TO
theirs before Improvement, and their real
estate has been enhanced in valuations.
their homes improved, better schools, bet
ter church privileges, accretion of wealth
and contentment, after road improve
ment, the above question should be am
severed i'll the affirmative. All this may
be set fortE by considering two things:
Cost of bad roads and the cost of good
roads.
The length of this article does not
allow us TO go into the details OF the VAR
iOus ways by which this cost of bad roads
is produced. For this information the in
terested reader is referred to Bulletin
No. 4. pages 1896, North Carolina
Geological Survey.
AS these statistics are given by Prof.
Holmes, after careful investigation and
study, their value is undoubtedly high.
On page 36, Bulletin to which refer
ence has been made, Prof. Holmes makes
the following summary of the cost of
bad roads for the state:
Loss on account Of the cost of feel
ing, and lees of time by the $4,000
country horses and mules in the mid
die and western counties during four
weeks of impossible roads, etc. page
33. 81, 100000. Loss on account of bad
roads, Of time and expenses of mainten-
anCc of 100000 country horses and
mules, 100000 wagons and harness, and
wages of 100000 transfers during one
month. page 81. S3,94S,000 Loss on ac-
county of had roads, of services and eX-
pensos of feeding $4,000 town horses
and services of 1850 Transfers, and
wear and tear on 1850 wagons and
harness, all of which could have been
saved by having good roads and streets,
page 81. 1851 900. Wasted in working
public roads in taxes and labor, page 81,
100000 Total $10,519000.
These figures are furnished by Prof.
Holmes, who knew the number of horses
and mules in these counties. 10.J19,-
600 divided by one hundred and three
counties gives $102, 126 per cent county,
the cost of bad roads.
This is the annual sum that would
be saved Guilford county by macadam-
lied roads.
England and France each expend
eighteen million dollars annually on the
maintenance and extension of their splen-
did systems of macadamized highways,
and regard the investment a good one
But the people of North Carolina. too
poor as they claim, to build good roads,
nevertheless bear annually this enormous
burden for the privilege of doing without
good roads.
SO much for the cost of bad roads. Is
this all? If you please. we have con
sidered only the loss accruing through
transportation. Nothing has been said
about the loss sustained by keeping CAPT
talistS from settling among us;abOut our
loss i'm not growing such things which
could be grown and marketed at profit,
il the roads would permit; about the
loss produced ley depopulating the coun-
try. to obtain advantages in the town,
which advantages good roads have sup
piled in the countries of improved roads.
Let LIS take a case in Randolph coun-
ty: In surveying the road from the
Rrokaw Kennels to ArChdale Prof.
Dandy found it necessary to locate the
road across the farm of Calvin Craw-
ford
When Mr.. Crawford was approached
in regard to THE matter he wanted fifty
dollars damage. Being told that the
road would enhance the valuation Of his
place, he willingly gave way for the
road to pass across his farm without
any remuneration.
When the road was completed he told
Prof Bandy that he would not have the