Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1904-12-07
MUD COSTS MILLIONS
ENORMOUS SUM LOST ANNUALLY IN
MARKETING CROPS.


Some Figures by an Official of tn
Department of Agriculture - In
crease of Farm Values From Build
ing Good Roads.
"I'he American people have reason t.
appreciate the fact that the good road!
question appears at last to be taking
on Il thoroughly practical aspect. witt
promise of great benefit to every per
son living in this country" said an Off
cial of the department of agriculture
to d representative OF the Washington
Star recently.
Every foreigner coming to this coun.
try Is amazed on the one hand at our
general prOgressiveneSs and enterprise
and utterly Disguised on the other
hand at our almost total lack Of good
roads and our almost utter want of ap-
probation of the advantages of prop
erly improved highways. AS a result
of this our deplorable roads have at
tanned worldwide renOwn. which
greatly detracts from our reputation of
being IN exceptionally enlightened and
progressive people.
The willing submission OF the Amer.
icanpeople to the needless and burden
some condition Of our country roads is
remarkable circumstances Careful
study of this matter seems to indicate
that this Is wholly due TO lack Of
knowledge and appreciation of the
comparative benefits of improved road
ways over bad ones and the ease and
low cost by which the best of roads
may be secured
1T is wholly inconsistent with the
characteristic enterprise of Americans
that they should willingly submit to
the continuous and needless losses due
TO lack Of good roads, especially when
these losses are so great in few years
as to equal the cost Of building the
finest roads in the world throughout
the entire country. This remarkable
fact can only be accounted for as the
result Of our deplorable ignorance Of
the comparative economies. comforts
and pleasures of good and bad roads
ut is cOnservatively estimated By
government officials that we are need |
lessly losing or wasting over $500, OOG,. |
900 each year because of our bad |
roads, making mud tax of over ST. |
100000 for every working day In the
year and an individual tax of nearly |
IS each year for every person in this
country.
This estimate il for the direct mon
ey loss and takes no account of the in
cidental disadvantages, discomforts
and Inconvenience Of bad roads,
which would probably exceed the d.
rect nloneyed loss. Besides this, the
increased values of farms reached by
good roads would amount to an enor-
nous sum. In New York and other
states this increase In selling values
has equaled from SOS to 500 an acre
In many cases
IAN increase Of only IS an acre on
the estimate of 640,O00.00O acres for
the country would amount to some
thing like $5.000.000,OOO, or more than
enough to build the best and finest |
main roads In the world-about 1,OOO-
900 miles-throughout the entire coun-
try several times over, and by recently
developed methods in road building the
best roads can be built for a cost which
should mot exceed an average Of $1,000
0 mile. The interest on this sum of ,
100000 100000 at 4 per cent would build
all the mainly Travelled roads in the ,
country in less than ten years ut a cost ,
Of only 40 per cent Of the Increased
arm value.
From this 1t appears that we would
receive benefits from improving our
main roads in the increase of farm val ,
les alone equal to two and one-half e
old, Or $50 per cent Of their cost.
"a d.rect saving of $600,000,OO0 a .
ear, figured at per cent interest,
would carry cost Of $12,500,000,O00 =,
This Is over six times, or 600 per cent, =,
Z the necessary costs of the main :"
Dads for the entire country
IF the Indirect comforts, benefits
nd savings will equal the direct saw =
,g we will have another item of $780, .-
10000. This makes the total benefits r
rom good main roads equal TO some :
hing like 100000 100000, or fifteen
mes their cost. The interest from
his sum at per cent would pay the
'st Of building the finest and best
ain roads in the world throughout
lie entire country each and every year.
'These benefits are so enormous that /
is difficult to rightly comprehend Il
em without making some compari-
MS The benefits of $4,000, OOO, 900,
r instance. are nearly IA hundred
mes the amount of the cost Of the
'anish war and certainly appear to Il
axe this the greatest economic ques- Il
N before this country at the present Il
me-" II
Broken Hearted. III
A I~H- Rod ivot Loot hor husband