The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1903-10-22

liz is difficult 10 impress these facts
ON She pub,ic. The farmer Goes ho'
calculate the wear and lear on his
h.srses and vehicles in transporting
hi,s zsvtiucfs from home ami his pur-
e .rbsses to his home. He does not
charge TO- his time in travelling over
4 fbse roads He IS generally III no par
t5e1,ar hurry. and would as soon make
fvo trips to town as one trip. HOW
: tn impress on him and the public gen
eraiyy the cost OF bad roads ana the
pxosit OF good roads is 4 problem which
Pysfessr I.Stta. OF the Purdue I'M
vrrsitY. of Indiana. undertooN 10 soife'
ax,Ss he seems to haYe solved II. lie
krNl down the proposition that pe"nla-
nepd s.pod roads would benefit the
fxyrs,crs- hence the communities, III
FIVE different ways. in that they would:
Exouomize time and force III trans
povsaiiou between farm and market;
Unable the farmer to take advantage
AZ market fluctuations in buying ana
seNing;
Permit Transportation OF farm prod
urts and purchased commodities durihs
fisses of comparative leisure:
.ysfxluee the wear and tear on horses.
harness and vehicles;
Enhance the market value OF real es-
tase-
I'm order to ascertain from the farm
~Fr themselves the facts from which ne
cszIld reduce answers, affirmative or
nr~afive. to his propositions. he ad-
isressed 10 them the following inter-
Enratorics:
:, Frsf-About what. proportion OF the
pablIc highways in your county are
nmx good gravel roads:
Srroud-Fiease estimate the average
increase Gn dollars and cents i'll the
spTIiuS price an acre Of land throughout
thr county as the result of such sravei
rDaix
Tard-If all the public roads in your
euunty were converted into improved
highways. how much. in your Judg-
ras.nt would it increase the average
selling price per acre. e.of land through
eS9 your county!
Eourth-What would be fair estl-
MATE of the cost per mile OF convert
fvx our common dirt roads as they now
exist into good gravel roads. provided
of course, the work were to be per-
formed economically under some COM
u~sent. general supervision. and not
h-zzUpered by legal restrictions:
FTftl,-Supposing that your county
wr-e divided into 100 acre farms, ana
thzf fhe average distance of each farm
fzsm the market were five miles, what,
i'm your Judgment. would be the aver
a-e annual cost Tin dollars and cents,
TIA each farmer Of our improved high
ways?
Hn answering the fifth question please
t,,ke into account the reduced loads. IN
creased time, extra wear and tear. ana
acss In sales from inability to deliver
TSroIurts when the market Is best.
Averages from forty counties In ms
;Stafe- from which he was enabled 10
,r,aroximate averages. We're as 1oi-
Apws: :.
xJyJrst - The average estimated III
eysssn in the selling prizes OF land uue
fs existing improved highways IS So.4e
nsr acre. The estimates from WHICH
+f5x average is made refer III most
...scs to lands near the improved roaoS'
bVua in a few instances the! appl!
fc AN the lands of the county. Inc
ax,raye increase, therefore. OF N'.4e
nSsr ,rre is lower than was lhtehoeu
fny fhe lands rcar the improved roaas'
Ss,ond-The estimated average III
~~resse uer acre that would result from
fsnproving all the public roads Is NJ
-Jb,rd-The estimated average cost o.
converting the common pubic tcaoS
J,sfs improved highways is Sll4o per
Bs5kt.- nv
Fsur,h-The estimated average an
ruay loss, pc. one hundred acres IRON
rs,or roads is $IG.2S.
He then remarks. rs result OF 'hese
figures:
--If these estimates are even approx
,,,telv correct. they furnish a Key
tss 4sae satisfactory solution or the qnes-
zion of highway Improvement from 'lie
sponey standpoint. On the pasis VI III.
l.su mentioned estimate. the average
-.pyuaI loss an acre from poor foaus
Sx more than seventy-SiX cents. III
xsr, wears the losses would aggregate
x..4ss for every section Of lard. anu
1Sjs sun, would construct two miles al
a cost Of S1216 mile. which IS *''
v,,,,e ,bove the estimated average cos'
given by the farmers themselves Inc
v,res@rt road tax. which. under exist
fo~ laws. is largely thrown away.
would. unde. . proper system OF foao
maintenance. doubtless keep improved
highways in perfect repair.
ss tic foregoing statments are 4 near
.orraa:I, to the truth. it follows tha'
sho IcsseS ard expenditures whici
Ssrnncrx actually incur on accoCh! oi
xssor rogGs would also secure per'na
rarptIy good roads. Can any sane man
.souht fhe wisdom Of exchanging the