Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1898-02-02
COST OF POOR ROADS.
STUPENDOUS SUM WASTED IN
MARKETING CROPS.
CAREFUL ESTIMATES PLACE THE
AMOUNT ANNUALLY SUNK IN THE
MUD AT S500,000,000.

|
ment, League Of American Who. lmen
in an address on ''t God Road" deliv-
cred at Urbana, his. said:
"A leading agricultural paper in the
east has severely criticised ay state
ment that TIE farmers Of Wisconsin,
where | live, might, by the construction
of good roads, save s., 800, 600 each year
in the cost Of marketing their oats,
corn, wheat ard barley. This figure is
indeed so stupendous that it is not sur
| prising its correctness should have lccn
| questioned. Figures of this kind deserve
| to be subjected to rigorous criticism,
and l am glad to say that these figures
are based upon the highest authority
and will bear the most careful analysis.
| The United States government through
its bureau of road inquiry, has made an
extensive investigation into the cost Of
hauling crops and has found as the re-
suit of replies to it's circulars, coming
from 200 different counties, that the
average cost of marketing ton of farm
produce in the United States is some
thing over 50. The United States census
ought to be pretty good authority as to
the amount of crops harvested in each
state. With these two authorities as
foundation, it was easy for me to esti-
mate the cost Of hauling these four
crops, which is about IS, $50, 900
1.-The progress of the good roads
movement has brought about careful IN
vestlgation as to the possible saving
from good roads. Both the department
of agriculture and the secretary of the
farmers national congress agree that
the cost of hauling farm products might
be reduced by two-thirds through the
building of good roads Two thirds Oh
IS, 300 600 is So, 500, 900, as any school
boy can readily figure out The paper
in question would be amply justified in
| attacking these figures if they We're SIM
ply my own, and if it We're not for the
fact that they are based upon careful in
vestlgation conducted by the United
States government, impartially made,
for the simple purpose of honestly as
certaining the facts.
In the same way we are able to as
certain a few things with regard to the
losses from bad roads in Illinois The
United States census cf 1890 shows that
the farmers Of Illinois harvest annually
over 2S9, 600, GOO bushels of corn. or
something more than 5000, 600 tons;
nearly $3.50, coo tons OF oats, nearly
5000, 600 tons of hay, considerably
moro than / 900. 600 tons of wheat and
enough rye and barley to make more
than another 100. GEO tons. This makes
total Of nearly IL, 800 000 tons and
does not include many other crops, such
as potatoes and tobacco. 1t is safe to as
sumo that 1000, 900 tons of these are
hauled to market and this costs the
farmers Of Illinois, according to the
United States department Of agricul-
ture just about S36, 600, 600. This, of
course, does not represent cash, but Is
the value Of the time and effort expend-
ed each year by man and beast in tray
cling over the roads as they exist today
If it be true, as the department of agri-
culture estimates, that two-thirds of
the cost of hauling might be saved
through the building of good roads, it
means that the farmers of Illinois are
y y
600, 900 worth of time and labor in
hauling their crops to market.
Equally large amounts might be
saved in other states through the con-
struction of good roads. The department
of agriculture estimates that i'll the
United States good roads would save
over $500, 900, 600 each year in the cost
of hauling crops, and the estimate made
by the secretary of the farmers na-
tional congress results i'll the same on0r-
nous amount. While great deaI of
effort has been expended on our public
roads, very little actual improvement
has been made III them, and | doubt if
the cost of hauling crops by wagon has
been reduced one-third since the close
If the war, We can today ship a huShel
IF grain frC.A Chicago to New York for
just one-1ifth Of what it cost to ship it
in 1863. aud. while we formerly paid
1913 cents for carrying that bushel Of
grain from New York to Liverpool, the
freight across the water today amounts
to only / cCHts 1t Is fortunate tor the
farmers Of the United States that the
cost OF transportation has thus decreased,
for with TIN rapid growth Of agricul-
ture in this country, we must depend
more and more upon foreign markets To
dispose Of our grain products and must
certainly depend upon these foreign
markets to control the price Of grain
even here at home. If American wheat
is to successfully compete in the cities
of Europe with grain imported from
Russia, India and South America, where
land and labor are cheap, it is Of the
greatest Importance that the cost Of its
transportation be reduced to a minimum.
This applies not only to freight rates
from Chicago to New York and to
Liverpool, but with equal force to the
cost OF hauling that same grain from
the farm to the railroad.
in