Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1899-01-27
AN INVESTMENT.
What the Farmers About Alma are
Paying for Poor Roads.

The long wet spell of weather during
the fall and the resulting practical sus.
pension Of business because of the bad
state of the roads throughout the county,
has brought forcibly TO the mind of
every thinking person in the commu-
nifty, the need of some radical change
from the present system of road build
ing. The matter is of such serious con
sequence that the projectors of the
beet sugar factory have made the
question Of the improvement of the
main streets Of the village turning
point in deciding as to locate their plant
here, and the council have already
taken the preliminary steps 10 begin
such Improvements at the earliest posi-.
BILE moment.
But the building of feN miles, four
or five at the most, of streets at the end
Of a trip, will not materially help our
farmers TO bring their crops TO market
and unless they can be convinced that
the roads for which they are responsible
should be put in better shape than they
are now, this work in the village will be
of little benefit, except to the towns
people It would seem however. that
when the facts were brought TO their
attention that all farmers would unite
and bring about "a change in the present
state of affairs. We are all of us
familiar with the method Of "road
butchering' now in use, and its results,
and we are almost all of Us certain,
that much more unsatisfactory plan
could not be devised. but on the other
hand, some of us think il is the best
possible under the circumstances, be-
cause it is cheap But let us see where
in the cheapness lies. The ordinary
dirt roads as they exist III the county
are neither better nor worse than those
of most parts of the state.
Very carefully collected figures, pub.
lished in circular No 10 of the Office
of Roads Inquiry L. 5. Dept. of Agri-
culture, show that the cost of hauling
crops TO market in the northern states
is % cents per mile for each ton of 1900
pounds hauled, and that the average
haul in the same states is 90 miles.
Now let US suppose case which is
possible right here in our own commu.
nifty A man living two miles south
and five miles west of town raises ten
acres of sugar beets this year, averaging
fifteen tons 10 the acre. He will have
of course 100 tons of beets TO sell, and
to sell them he has TO draw them to
town Each ton will cost for trans.
portation 81 SO, sum multiplied by the
whole crop of 100 tons amounts to 1888.
90. If the roads were good the loads
could be increased so that the cost could
be reduced one. e.half at least, and prob.
ably more, but allowing that one-half
is the amount, bad roads cost this farm
er sl4l. 10 for ten acres of produce, about
Sl4 90 per acre, which is very large
road tax, considering the fact that the
same man has already paid all of that
form of tax he thinks he ought. These
figures may seem large, but they are
probably under rather than over the
actual ones for this county. All other
crops, wool, etc, pay the same immense
tax and vet the present irrational system
is adherd to because of the fear OF the
cost of more rational system. Let
intelligent and progressive men in every
quiry, T. s Department at Washington,
for information on the subject and see
| for themselves and their neighbors
what has been done in other states and
! Judge whether they can afford TO go on
with the present system. The matter
is one of such importance to all farmers
and people of the town as well, that
steps are being taken to have meeting
in Alma 10 agitate the question of a
| Joint effort TO improve in the best way
possible, the main roads into town, and
possibly at the Farmers Institute some
announcements will be made as TO plans,
but in the meantime, let every man
look up the evidence for himself and
see if the people of Gratiot county can
afford to pay the price of the kind OF
roads now in use. A little Investigation
and agitation will undoubtedly bring
about such condition of public senti
ment that a county system of roads
similar to that in Bay county can b,
begun and the value of every farm II
the county increased thereby. AT any
rate let's investigate and get together
and talk about the matter, right away.
CHAS A. DAVIS.