The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1902-05-06

~ NE paragraph i'm that part OF
~ the Governors message which
relates TO good roads is of es-
pecial consideration because
of its very general interest and applica-
ton.
1t is estimated, ne says. that i'm forty
counties i'm 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" of land. due TO exist
ing improved roads. is almost $3.50 an
acre (SG4S, to be exact. The estimated
average cost of converting common
public roads into improved roads is
Nll4G mic. The estimated average
annual loss to Il hundred acres from
poor roads-due TO added expense OF
hauling only half loads over them.
hreakagc and wear and tear of vcEi-
Giles, loss of time etc-is $40. or seven
ty-siX cents an acre. 1t is 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 lit
tie. \ good road will steadily and eff
lectiNely serve a tract of country for
a 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. 1t follows again that
an expenditure of 81 an acre for each
H..
pay the cost (S1146) of improving a bad
road into so expensive a good one as
the kind constructed i'm Indiana II is
also TO be noted that seventy-five cents
OF the dollar so expended is Offset by
the saving of the loss" for one year
on account of bad road conditions. leav-
ing the net cost of the Improvement
to the land owners only twenty-five
cents an acre in fact This expenditure
is practically made but once. the an
nual cost of maintenance being rela-
lively very small. Wherefore. the i'm
proved road will nearly pay the whole
cost of its construction in one year.
and thereafter Will continue to return
seNenty-tive 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 $500 in the value OF every acre trib-
utary 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 n year for the four
years, would pay the whole cost of the
Improvement.
The calculation is subject to some
notifications TO adapt it TO this State.
and to different parts of the State. 1t
will apply closely in districts where
roads are improved on the system and
at the high rate Of cost observed i'm
Indiana; but may he greatly changed
in the case Of other districts. espe-
cially, 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
OVERLAPPING sand with clay at a cost
ranging down to $50 n mile. and per
haps averaging less than $500 a mile
Darlington alone has constructed over
700 miles of such roads in the last five
years, and Richland several hundred
more at n 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 thor
oughly good road at a cost of $500 for
! the 1850 acres within n mile on either
| side OF it, or Of twenty-threc cents an
acre-against 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
| tWenty-three cents an acre would rep
resent tax OF only two and one-haIf
cents per acre for ten yoars-not a very
heavy burden Extending the area 30
be taxed would of course, reduce the
| tax rate proportionatcly.
1t really appears that land owners.
! farmers and the public generally could
! well afford TO submit to such n tax
for the sake Of the great and valuable
public benefits to be derived from it az
! once and for all time to come CHARLES
ton (S. ca News and Courier.