The suburban citizen., 1902-03-15

relates rel to good roads i IS Of f''s,. es-
pecial consideration because
OF its very general interest and applica-
tion.
1t is estimated, he says, that in forty
counties in Indiana-a good broad basis
for computation, as that Is nearly the
whole number Of counties in South
Carolna--the average increase in the
selling price" of land due to exist.
ing improved roads, is almost $3.50 an
acre (S6.4S, to be exact. The estimated
average cost of converting common
public roads into improved roads is
Stag a mile The estimated average
annual loss to a hundred acres from
poor roads-due to added expense of
hauling only half loads over them,
breakage and wear and tear of vehi
cles, loss of time, etc.-is $76, 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 foI
their construction the good roads will
continue to pay"
The calculation may be varied lit
tie. A good road will steadily and eff
fectively serve 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 12S0' acres on each side within
the mile limit. 1t follows again that
an expenditure of 81 an acre for each
acre so to be benefited will more than
pay the cost (S1146) of improving bad
road into so expensive a good one as
the kind constructed in Indiana. 1t 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
seventy-fve 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 trib
utary to the road, as determined by its
ipnpaoCn1 Saline T1t,ioa Eot,V nov oanf
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
improvement.
The calculation is subject to some
notifications to adapt it to this State,
and to different parts of the State. II
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, 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
overlaying sand with clay at a cost
ranging down to $50 a 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 a cost, we believe, higher than
that average. Placing the average at
$500 a mile, however, for such con.
struction it follows that every mile OF
bad road in more than half the State
can be improved into n permanent thor
oughly good road at a cost of $500 for
the 1880 acres within mile on either
side Of it, or Of twenty-three 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 a tax CT Cnly two and one-half
cents per acre for ten years--not a very
heavy burden. Extending the area to
be taxed would, Of course, reduce the
tax rate proportionately.
1t really appears that land owners,
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 al
once and for all time to come. Charles.
ton IS. c. News and Courier.