The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-06-25

fourths of day During hauling sea-
son wages are high, and the expense of
the short haul from farm to station
is made heavier than for the Tong
haul that follows by rail or boat. The
substantial improvement of the roads
means that just twice as much can be
hauled by any given number of horses
in just half the time, and that at any
period when horses are not needed on
| the farm-a thing which is never posi-
| ble with a poor road. For this is the
worst Of the whole bad-road system,
namely, that when it is good enough
to haul over them, the farm is good
enough to work on, and horses and wag-
ons are needed there. When they are
impossible because of mud and water,
the farms also unavoidable, and horses
and wagons are idle. Thus, says
writer on the subject in Pearson's Mag
| aztne, a double injury is worked.
1t has been figured by an expert of
the government of Minnesota that if
only the worst places in all the roads of
that commonwealth could be repaired
stretches of ruts and hollows which ag-
gregate only sixth of all the road
mileage Of that stateJ, it would enable
farmers to haul a third more of a load,
and to haul it at a third less time.
This means, he says, that where it
now takes three-fourths of a day to haul
thirty bushels of wheat or potatoes, forty
bushels could be hauled Just as easily
in half day, or eighty bushels a day. if
necessary. 1t means that where it now
costs IS to market three-fourths of a ton.
1t would then cost but 80 to market a
ton--a saving of half the expense. 1t
means the extension of the hauling sys-
TEN to suit the convenience of the farm
er and an opportunity to take advantage
OF the market. AS 1t stands now the
markets take advantage of him. It
means a net saving of at least 10 per
cent OF the value Of his products. If he
was making money before it means
double profits now; if he was running
pehlnd, 1t opens the way for him to re-
trleNe his losses and get on in the world
All thlS Tor the repair of one-sixth of
the roads OF the state, and yet this is
put a suggestion of the actual and en-
ormous advantages which invariably fol-
low Today the average farmer is either
compelled to haul his fifty cent wheat
10 market before the rain comes or hold
the crop until the following Nav. when
it may be worth much less. The inter
mediate good prices might as well never
exist, so far he is concerned The con-
dltlon OF the roads stops him from TAX
Ing advantage of them.
1t Is estimated by the secretary of the
National Farmers Congress that the
wagon transportation of the United
states amounts annually to 100000, geo
TONS, that this has to be moved an ever
age distance of eight miles; that it costs
an average of 81 per ton to move if. and
that this Is sixty per cent of more than
1t would cost if we had good roads all
over the country-an extra cost in pro-
ducing and marketing our agricultural
products of $700000,OO0 When it is taken
INTO consideration that the total value
OF all agricultural products is only So
oOU'OCO,OO5, 1t is perfectly plain that one
fourth of the home value of our farm
products is lost by bad roads.
Texas gives startling illustration of
thls IN the movement of her cotton crop
"a labor which requires less expense for
road transportation than any other com
modify of equal value. There are 75O. 600
tons of lint and 100000 tons of seed MAX
ing z'zoo'0OO tons. This at So per ton (the
cost OF hauling over poor roads, equals
Sf,9oO,OOu-SlXty per cent more than II
should be. With good roads, there would
De saved there alone every wear 50 700 =
OUU on the cost of wagon TRANSFORMATION
rms would pay an annual interest on
$54,OOO,OOO of per cent bonds Expended
economically, this would build $4,000 miles
OF good permanent roads, and earn the
state money to pay the principal In ten
years Texas could have good roads per-
manent and paid for, and her treasury
would be the richer for the enormous
increase of land value
This, however, is but another instance
1t has been figured out in New Jersey
that land values tend to rise 80 per cent
in value wherever good roads are intro
duced, irrespective of other natural bene-
fits. They are invariably the forerunners
OF other improvements, such as the cleo
trio railways, free mail delivery, increas
ed demand for country residences, and
so on. They create far greater social
unity, they spread intelligence, they give
to the isolated citizen political signifi-
canoe not otherwise attainable.