Virginia gazette. [volume] (Williamsburg, Va.) 1893-192?, 1903-10-24

Eal tsH ough investigation. that 4
ninety per cent. OF every \
l. pound OF freight carried 1
E61 lSN IN rail or water has been |
or will bc carried over the /
public roads OF the country.
IL is difficult to impress these facts J
on the public The farmer does not |
calculate She w~7r ard tear o. his
horses and vehicles in transporting
his products from home and his puv-
chases TO his home. lie does not
charge for his timc i'm travelling over
the roads. lie j. generally in no par
tlcuier hurry. aad would as soon make
two trips 60 town as ono trip. How
10 impress on him AMI the public gen
orally the cost OF hal roads and the
profit or good roads IS % problem which
Professor t.atta. o. the Purdue Uni
vCrsitv. of Indiana. uudcrtOo6 Go solve.
and he seems a. have solved H. lie
laid down the proposition that pcrma-
ncnt good roads would benefit the
farmers. hence tho communities. IN
1--WE different Ways. in that they would:
Economic time and force I'm trans
portation between farm and market.
Enable the farmer to take advantage
OF market fluctuations in buying and
selling:
Permit transportation az farm prod
ucts and purchased commodities during
[ times OF comparative leisure.
Reduce the Wear and tear on horses.
T harness and vehicles.
Enhance the market value Of real cs-
j tale.
-, -. ......,...., 10. e..,.-.. tl,, r~.,,,-
erS themselves the facts from which he
+ could reduce answers. affirmative or
+ negative. TO his propositions. he adj
/ dressed 70 them the following inter
/ roSatorics.
/ First-About what proportion OF the
F public highways In your county arc
now good gravel roads,
SccOnd-Plcase estimate the average
. Increase Gin dollars ana cents in tile
selling price an acre OF land throughout
the county rs the result Of such gravel
roads.
Third-If all tho public roads iu your
county were converted into improved
T highways how much. In your judg-
ment. would &c increase the average
selling price per acre OF land through
ont your county
Fourth-What would Toe a fair csti-
mate OF tho cost per mile OF convert
iu- our common dirt roads as they now
exist into good gravel roads provided.
~ course. he work were 10 Do per-
formed economically under some COM
pctcut. general supervision. and not
hampercd 10y legal restrictions
F-fth- SuppoSinE that your county
were divided into 100 acre farms. and
That tho average distance of each farm
from the market were hve miles. what.
in your Judgment. would be the aver
age annual cost ln dollars and cents
20 each farmer OF our improved high
ways
Ia answering the fifth question please
take into account the reduced loads. in
creased time. extra wear and tear. and
loss in sales from inability 20 deliver
products when the market is best.
Averages from forty counties in his
state. from which De was enabled to
approximate averages. were as FOL-
lows.
First - The average estimated in-
crease in the selling pricr 81 land due
10 existing improved highways is S6-N
pcs acre. The estimates from which
This average is made refer in most
cases 90 lands near the improved roads
but in q lew instances they apply
t. an tile lands OF the county The
average increase. therefore. of >h4>
Der acre Is lover than was intende1
for the lands near ,he improved roalf
Second The estimated average n
crease per acre thar would result i.or
improving an tie puoiic roads is 81
Third The estimated average cost OF
+ converting thc common public road.
into improved highways is Sll46 pei
mile.
Fourth Inc estimated average an
nuaI loss. de-. one hundred acres. fr2n
poor roads IS STOPS.
lie then remarks. as q result Of theS'
figures:
1T these estimates are even approx
mately correct they furnish ke,
70 the satisfactory solution Of the cues
ton OF highway Improvement from th
money standpoint. ON the basis or III
last mentioned estimate. the averag
annual loss an acre from poor roaG
* more than scVcnty-six cents. II
e hyc years the losses would aggrsgat
S2f32 for every section OF land. AM
t'iis sum would construct two miles a
cost OF Si2lG mile. which is $40
mile above the estimated average cos
given by the farmers themselves fh
| present road tax. which. under exist
+ Ing laws. * largely thrown away
! would. under proper system OF roa
, maintenance doubtless keep improve
> 1 80 -.