Evening star., 1898-11-05
What is in Prospect for the Modern
Farmer.
MUD HIGHWAYS TO Be DISPLACED
Experiments by Government Dr.
rection Near Scranton, Pa.
STATEMENT BY MIR. DODGE


farm in the future. And it's no dream. 1t
IS so much reality now that one turnpike
company in Pennsylvania has ordered the
steel rails necessary to build one mile of
roadway near Scranton. And to those who
have been working to revolutionfze in this
manner, modern methods of transporting
farm products the result is not a matter
of doubt. They say it means goodbye to
the antiquated vehicles and spawned horses
seen every day weariIy dragging from gar
den farms near by the cities over bad roads
to the markets Instead. there will come
wagons and vehicles. propelled by electric
motors. laden TO the brim with the good
things Of the farms nofselessly and rapidly
traversing the steel rails that will be laid
upon every thoroughfare leading from town
to country
Mr. Martin Dodge former chairman Of
the Ohio road commission. now director of
the office of road inquiry in the Agricul-
tural department. is the pioneer in this
work. in which also Secretary Wilson Cf
the department has a deep personal ard
official interest. 1t was because Of the Sec
retarys wish TO make actual tests of Ihe
steel wagon road that. upon President Ms
hinIeys recommendation. he placed Mr..
Dodge in charge of the office directed for
merly by Gen. Roy Stone, who became q
general IN the army when war with Spain
began, and is now stationed in Porto Rico.
Mr Dodge Explains Project.
To The Star Mr.. Dodge gave the follow
ing personal and official information Of the
project. and the tests so far made:
Some ten years ago 1 became satisfied
that the agricultural Industry in this coun-
try was passing through a period of de-
cline, especially in the eastern and mid
die states. When the census report for
1880 was published it was more apparent
than ever before that the agricultural in
dustry had not only declined as TO its pros
perity. but that relatively to other indus
tries 1t was losing its place This was
manifest by deserted villages in the rural
districts, abandoned farm houses and an
absolute decrease in the rural population.
This loss in the. rural population was
more than compensated for by the increase
in urban population. 1t clearly appeared
by the ceEsus of 1890, for the first time
In the history of this country, that TIE ur-
ban population in the older states was full
ly equal to the rural population and that
the caLse of concentration If long con-
tnued would make US a nation the greater
part OF whose population would be found
In cities rather than in rural districts as
heretofore. In studying the causes of this
decline in agriculture | soon observed that
those communities that had the best and
cheapest means of transportation had suf-
1ered the least. and that those commune
ties that are poorly provided with the
means Of transportation had suffered most.
Trans-Mfssi.sippi Group.
This rule seems 10 hold good as to large
sections of the country and as to small
areas in different localities For instance
the agricultural states In the transmits
sissippi group are supplied with the cheap
est means of transportation for long dis
tances by the steam railroads and the
steamships upon the great lakes; there
fore. they have suffered less decline :kan
any other large body of agricultural land
in the United States. on the other ha,d
the local communities who are dependent
upon animal power TO move their products
have suffered the 81 decline where
the wagon roads are poorest, and the least
decline where wagon roads are best. SO
II seems apparent that the most important
FACTOR IN producing the changed condition
OF population and the decreasing value Of
agricultural land is the item of transDor-
tation- So absolute is this fact that the
value of agricultural land can be accurate
ly estimated by its distance from easy
means of transportation. the price of land
falling in proportion TO its distance from
cheap means of transportation.Andb by cheap
means Of tran sportation l mean something
better than al ordinary wagon drawn over
an ordinary unimproved road by animal
power 1t Is an aScertained fact that the
average cost OF transportation by animal
power is - cents per ton per mile while
the cost by the cheaper means is very
much less. being by electric power not TO
exceed . cents per ton per mile, and ty
steam cars > mills per ton per mile. AMI
by steamships on the great lakes one mill
per ton per mile. So that the cost Of .noN-
Ing tonnage l,2Jo miles by stcaE,s sIps up
Oh deep water, 80 miles on steam cars,
o - miles upon electric cars, Is n great
er than the cost of moving tonnage five
miles by animal power upon a common
road.
Having noticed this great difference in
the cost of moving the productions of the
country by different means of transporta-
ton. and having noticed also thar those
who are destitute CT the cheap means were
losers a f4li
prices of their lands and their produces. as
well as the loss of their population I
seemed TO imperative that everything
should be dcEe that could be done To sup
ply the rural districts cheaper means of
transportation than they have ever en-
joyed- and restore them much as pos
sible TO equal terms i'll the cost OF trans
portation.
Changed Conditions.
Taking notice OF the changed condition
IN the population. whereby one-half OF the
people in the older states are concentrated
In the cities, and that most of the villages
that used TO be centers of industry and
commerce have been deserted. and that the
products Of the country must be shipped
to more distant places than the nearest
village. as was formerly the case It oc-
CURED to me that the method of laying ont
country roads and the means of transport
trg the products over them should be
changed somewhat to conform to this new
condition Accordingly. in 1891, published
pamphlet suggesting that the checker
board method OF laying out and improving
the highways should be modified and that
new system should take Its place where
by the common roads should radiate from
the great cities or centers Of population to
the circunjacent territory for a distance
OF thirty or forty miles. and that instead
OF depending wholly upon animal power
as heretofore. electric car tracks should be
extended on these new radial roads to the
distance of thirty or forty miles and that
the productions Of the country should be
brought In upon these new roads mainly IN
the night time, when the streets OF the
city are vacant and the power for moving
the cars is idle. This would furnish a
means Of transportation at one-fifth of the
cost prevailing by animal power, and would
cover distance five times as great as can
be economically covered by animal power