The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1902-03-28
I |! { FARM
IMPROVEMENT.
PAY THEIR OWN WAY.
Benefits Derived from Good Roads
Are Far in Excess of the COST
Of Construction.

OAO pal db ldp n III OudO pdIG VI eAC
governors message which relates to
good roads is of especial considerable
because of its very general interest
and application.
1t is estimated, he says, that in 40
counties in Indiana "a good broad basis
for computation, as that is nearly the
whole number of counties in South
Carolina) the average increase in the
"selling price" eff land, due to existing
improved roads, is almost $3.50 an acre
($6.48 to be exact). The estimated av-
erage cost of converting common pub
lie roads into improved roads is 81, 146
a mile. The estimated average annual
loss hundred acres from poor roads
due to added expense Of hauling only
half loads over them, breakage and
wear and tear of vehicles, loss of time,
etc.is $76, or rs cents an acre. "It
it seen that the loss from poor roads
would soon pay for the building of
good roads, and after replacing the
amount paid for their construction
the good roads will continue to pay"
The calculation may be varied a lit
tie. "A good road will steadily and eff
fectively serve tract of country for
mile on each side of it, and, as there
are $40 acres to the square mile, it fol-
lows that one mile of good road will
serve 1880 acres on each side, within
the mile limit. Tt follows, again, that
an expenditure of one dollar an acre
for each acre so to be benefited will
more than pay the cost Isl, 146) of inn
proving bad road into so expensive
good one as the kind constructed in
Indiana. 1t is also to be noted that
rs cents of the dollar so expended is
offset by the saving of the floss" for
one year on account of bad road condi-
tions, leaving the net cost of the inn
provement to the land owners only rs
cents an acre in fact. This expendi-
ture is practically made but once, the
actual cost of maintenance being rela-
lively very small. Wherefore, the i'm
proved road will nearly pay the whole
cost of it's construction in one year,
and thereafter will continue to return
rs cents an acre annually in the single
item of saving the loss resulting from
bad roads. To which gain is to be
added all the conveniences of good
road service, and the increase of $3.50 in
the value of every acre tributary to the
road, as determined by its increased
selling price. Four per cent. interest
for one year on the Increased value"
alone of the two square miles, or one
per cent. year for the four years,
would pay the whole cost of the i'm
provement.
The calculation is subject to some
notifications to adapt it to this state,
and to different parts of the state. It
will apply closely in districts where
roads are improved on the system and
at the high rate Of cost observed in
Indiana; but may be greatly changed
in the case Of other districts, especial
ly, for example, those lying south and
east of Columbia.
Good roads equal to turnpikes have
been constructed in Darlington, Rich
land and Orangeburg counties, by over
laying sand with clay at cost ranging
down to $50 mile, and perhaps aver
dSiilS lCSS Juttll POOO d lille. OdIluG-
ton alone has constructed over 700
miles of such roads in the last five
years, and Richland several hundred
more at a cost, we believe, higher than
that average. Placing the average at
$500 mile, however, for such con-
struction, it follows that every mile
of bad road in more than half the state
can be improved into a permanent
thoroughly good road at cost of $500
for the 1880 acres within mile on
either side of it, or of % cents an acre
which single expenditure
would be charged nearly the whole an
nual saving of loss on account of bad
road conditions and whatever increase
in land values would result from such
improvement. And even the whole 90
cents an acre would represent a tax
of only two and half cents per acre
for ten years-not a very heavy bur-
den. Extending the area to be taxed
would, of course, reduce the tax rate
proportionately.
It really appears that landowners,
farmers and the public generally could
well afford to submit to such tax
for the sake of the great and valuable
public benefits. to be derived from it
at once and for all time to come
Charleston Is. C.) News and Courier.
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