New-York tribune., 1901-06-09

due TO the embargo of mud which creates short
age in the market, and this increases the price.
When the roads are good again. the immense
quantity OF produce thrown upon the market de
presses the prices Bad roads in fact the most
expensive burden the farmer has to bear. They
require twice the horsepower twice the time and
only one-haf the load as compared with good roads
Transportation is really the greatest economic
question of the In no department of human
activity has there been a greater perhaps
great an advancement in the railway trans
portaton in this country The American railways
have solved tho question OF the most perfect SER
vice at the least possible cost. A modern locomo-
tive over a modern track will carry from 90,Go1
to 100 90 bushels of grain in single train. We
boast of the best railways-and the worst public
highways-of any country on earth.
Good roads will DO for the advancement Of
this country In the next fifty years than other
single agency, not excepting the public schools.
The farmers not the only sufferers from bad
roads The country merchant and the city whole
saler are both affected by the embargo OF mud
The residents of the towns and the cities. who
must live upon the products Of the farm, vital
l. interested in the uninterrupted delivery Of the
same. Good roads of great importance 10 the
railways. they serve to equalize the freight
business and make it possible to handle a larger
volume of business with smaller equipment Of
cars than when. now, it often occurs that with
week two of good roads following mud
blockade the railways are swamped with freight
they cannot handle.
The heaviest tax the farmers well as the town
resident have 10 pay is the tax imposed by bad
roads Let Say, prices good the farm
er wishes to market some grain, but the roads
bad: with four horses he can haul two medium
sized loads to market in day; with good roads he
can hauI with TWO hoISeS. three ulS loau5. me
difference in result and extra horsepower is the
his horses and misses the good prices. and the loss
is his bad road tax The widow, returning from
dozen eggs and pound Of butter. She asks the
higher. because. roads
so bad the farmers are not bringing in enough.
pays three cents more for eggs and four
G more flor for and on @t s h sigh baa
Good roads will save money to every man, WON
pay for them. The saving effected by good roads
would bpild them every five years. In other words.
hear usr pronortion ono Of the cost Of hHdin
There is ample precedent for this reacning back
road built two thousand years ago In our Goun.,
where ' the State pays three-fourths of The cost:
Connecticut pays one-haf New-York one-haf and
States notably Michigan, Wisconsin. Minnesota
and North Dakota. steps are being taken to change
the constitution thai II will enable the State to
Ninety-nine per cent of all farm produce moved
Is first hauled in WAGONS The secretary OF thf
waste in haulage to bad roads in this country is
The last report Of the Illinois State Board Of
Equalization shows the total assessed valuation OF
81 s @ 6ss@s OF Of %Seh Cook % Count , nciadGg Che
contrbnted 1881 ocoooo or 40 per cent Of the
with g. or or 30 5 epf per &c cent e 4 d s'%nce cce
towns. villages and corporation property outside
Of Cock County Thus ~ under a any good roads law
third of the States proportion Is paid by agri-
substantial aid in building hard roads on main
thoroughfares. We should have as favorable laws
To assist in building good permanent roads the
she a''e entire fneua State This % viii ' podae nearly G
year. Great as the sum is when spread over so
less than one cent an acre on average farm prop
erty throughout the State This taH II rsed to pay
Would permit the building Of two thoasand miles
every dollar expended in building permanent hard
roads adds from g to 50 an acre bd TO he Haae % Hi al
Only the main roads should be macadarizcd, and
in every there should be dirt road alongside
known and will be used in preference to the stone
ar % go S fe rd soHe Mhf foa the @sod M
he life of fl the hard roads ond %h If &
The old Roman roads. built thousand years
ago. in Europe, still good.
The cost of building hard roads twelve feet vide
the northern and extreme southern part of the
maximum Of 5000 d mile In other portions where
the m matera ria viii have & to @ be rp i @ to s m
IN e Fer the suT of pder ordnsry ecn me
tons. ptwelve to s eigheen miles Of hard roads in
township will cover most of the main thorough
fares Sixteen miles say. at 5000. makes $4,000.
Now. there may be some expense of bridges to
build. or some extra heavy hills to cut down.
will allow an expenditure of $50 000 I'm the township,
which is certainly an outside figure
TAXES AND FARMS.
The farmer will ask, How much would the
be my farm TO have good roads?" This is vital
question. and It goes the heart Of the whole
matter. AS the answer TO the question depends
the size of the farm its value. the assessed
value of the township. and the county and its
location be given that will At every
The following example. which is based
conditions that represent the situation i'm
Illinois. stated. will furnish approximate
swer: Let assume that joan Jones ?
quarter section In township i'm Central Illinois.
wnero the county is made up OF sixteen townships.
The records of the State Board OF Equalization
show that s.s00 is average assessed valuation
OF such a farm. The assessed valuation of farm
ing township is $4,000 over but take Ge0
as the basis Then the assessed valuation OF the
tounty would be Si.s00.0y0 and under State and
county aid road law (which seems TO be most equi-
tablet the cost of hard roads Is divided in three