Gulf Coast breeze. [volume] (Crawfordville, Fla.) 1897-19??, 1898-04-08
VALUE OF GOOD ROADS.
IMPORTANT FACTS FOR RURAL COM.
MUNlTIEs TO CONSIDER.

lniNtrsfy, 1nUltnh, IA 10 iht monetary
Worth of Impressed Highways to Farm
crs \ Most Convincing Statement.
The following paper upon The
Value of Good Roads to Farmers" was
written by Professor Latta of Purdue
university, Indiana: That good roads
have money value to farmers will be
granted by all. That the money value
OF improved highways is alone suffi-
cient to justify the cost of their con-
struction, will be conidentially
claimed or readily admitted by many
farmers, questioned by others, and
denied by not few.
In view OF the financial and many
other advantages of good roads, n ma
joriiy Of the farmers of the state would,
doubtless. favor their construction as
rapidly as practicable under some eff.
ficiont, economical and equitable sys-
tenn of highway improvement. But
there is o considerable proportion of
the farmers--doubtless one.fifth and
possibly one.fourth--who have little
knowledge or appreciation Of the benc-
fits of good roads and who, therefore,
object on account of the great cost of
highway Improvement The farmers
OF this class know what they will have
to bear their full share Of the burden
of SUCH improvements; they discredit
(pot wholly without reason the state
ments and conclusions of many public
writer's as to the losses and gains to
farmers from poor and good roads re-
spectively; hence they view with APP
prehension the general agitation in
fagor Of improved highways. Ignor-
ing or underwriting the educational
and social advantages, as well as the
comfort and enjoyment of good roads,
or feeling unable to pay the price of
such benefits, these farmers regard
with distrust and disfavor measures
for highway Improvement; and they
are likely to oppose efforts for the bet
terment of our roads unless they can
first be convinced that good roads will
prove paying financial investment.
Speaking, therefore, in behalf of those
who for any reason are not influenced
by the higher considerations in favor
of improved highways, raise the
question. Will it pay the farmers in
dollars and cents to improve their
public roads?
Before attempting to answer this
question, let us consider in what ways
permanently good roads will prove
financially beneficial to farmers. All
will agree, | think that good road
will
J. Economic time and force in
transportation between farm aud
market.
2. Enable the farmer to take adj
vantage of market fluctuations in
buying and selling
3. Permit transportation of farm
products and purchasing commodities
during times of comparative leisure.
4. Reduce the wear and tear on
houses, harness and vehicles.
3. Enhance the market value of
real estate
But while it is easy to enumerate
tho ways in which improved roads
will he financially advantageous to
farmers, it is very difficult to esti-
mate, in dollars and cents, the benefits
to accrue therefrom, DISTRESSING my
own Judgment in the premises and
fearing, also, that my opinions would
have little weight with others, | sought
the advice of the farmers themselves.
Letters of inquiry were sent to sixty
of the most intelligent farmers in forty
counties located in the central and
northern parts of the state. The sub
stance of these letters is givou here
with:
!, About what proportion of the
public highways in your county are
now good gravel roads?
2. Please estimate the average in
crease lin dollars and cents in the
selling price per acre of land through.
out the county, as the result OF such
gravel roads.
3. If all the public roads in your
county were converted into improved
highways, how much, in your iudg-
ment, would it increase the average
selling price per acre of land through
out your county,
!. What would be a fair estimate
of the cost per mile of converting our
common dirt roads as they now exist
into good gravel roads, provided, :, of
course, the work were to be performed
economically under some competent,
general supervision, and not ham
pered by legal restrictions?
g. Surprising that yom county
were divided into 100-acre farms and
that the average distance of each farm
from market were five miles, what. in
your Judgment, would be the average
annual cost lin dollars and cents to