The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1899-10-26
GOOD ROADS CONVENTION.

to attend. The proceedings We're open
ed at 10 o'clock in the morning at the
Turner Hall Mayor Rahr in some we'll
chosen words welcomed the visitors,
and Hon. r. NJ Blackstock of Sheboy-
gan replied for the good roads people.
Mr. Blackstock has been a very active
mover in the work and has shown his
interest by attending a great many OF
these conventions in various places. AT
ter some music, Mr. Fred Huebner who
presided over the meeting, presented
Gen. Harrison who addressed the as
semblage ON the subject OF his visit.
The audience was composed largely of
farmers and comfortably filled the hall.
They gave the speaker close attention
and seemed to follow him with interest
though giving no sign Of agreement or
dissent. Gen Harrison called attention
to the fact that agriculture was the only
industry that was fostered by special
department Of the government, and that
the reason the department of agriculture
had been established was because Of the
overshadowing importance of that branch
of production in the United States. The
agricultural experiment stations with
the frequent bulleti1s issued therefrom
are of enormous benefit to the farmer,
merely for the vast amount of useful in
formation they place at the disposal of
every one who cares to ask for it. Since
it has become evident that the vast crops
of this country must have a foreign
market, domestic consumption being en-
tirely insufficient, the problem of cheap
transportation from the American farm
| to the foreign consumer has been given
much attention by the department. AT
ter much study it was found that rail
way and steamship transportation had
been brought down to minimum, but
that the great expense Of hauling from
the farm to the nearest railroad was
what handicapped the American pro
Queer in disposing of his crop in compe-
tition with the foreigner The European,
with shorter average primary haul
had moreover great advantage in the
fact that his primary haul was over u
smooth, hard road, where two horses
and wagon could transport as much
at one trip as four horses and two wag-
ons could on the average American coun-
try road Clearly the thing to do was
To reduce as much as possible the cost
of the primary haul. 1t was found that
the United States is ~ miles, and that
the average cost of this is 25c. per ton
per mile.
| In 1885 the last year for which reli-
able statistics are available, there were
344, 000 600 tons of farm produce hauled
to shipping points. This is exclusive of
all produce used on the farm. Each ton
of this was hauled on an average ~
miles over the usual American country
roads at an expense Of 25c. per mile, or
of 3d. 90 per trip. 344, 600, 900 tons at
$3. 90 per ton makes 81, O42, 600, 000 That
is to say, American farmers in 1898 paid
over billion dollars to get their crops
moved to their nearest railway OF steam
boat line To save as much Of this stu
pendous sum as possible has been the
object of the agricultural department,
and for that purpose it has been making
systematic effort to get improvements
made i'll country roads. The depart
nent advocates the system of state aid
| in country road building as the best
method of getting the necessary improve
ments made. New Jersey, New York,
Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania were
named rs some of the states that have
adopted plans of state aid. In New
Jersey since the state has been assist
ing the farmers in building and paying
for their roads, the average cost of the
wagon haul from farm to railroad has
decreased from 25c. to &c. per ton per
mile. In Pennsylvania and Kentucky
the cost has gone down to Sc Grant
ing that the general average expense all
over the country could be reduced to SC.
it would be saving of two-thirds of the
billion dollar expense, or of good deal
over $500, 000, 600 per year. This is worth
saving, and this is the end in view.
In the eastern states the entire state
tax is paid from personal property, leav-
ing land taxable only for local purposes,
such as road building and the expense OF
local administration. Consequently when
the state took over part of the burden
of maintaining roads, it shifted that much
of the taxes from the farmer land to the
CITY mans stocks and bonds The city
men We're found willing to stand it, be
because they realized their wealth wa,
drawn ultimately from the country, anf
the farmers Were pleased with the nj
rangement because it decreased theil
taxes and increased the profits of farm
in,y In Wisconsin, where most though