The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1904-06-17

one seems willing to join hands in the
movement Good roads are coming,
and coming rapidly.
As we have tried to point out, the
boon is not only for the bicycle and
automobile rider, but the man who
has produce to sell and wishes to get
it to market at the lowest possible
cost. Today we see high Off
Gals, railroad managers, manufac-
turers, as we'll as farmers who are
helping the good work along. Each
is moved by 4 selfish purpose, but
from this concerted work much gen
eral good will grow.
As this article points out, few per-
sons realize what it actually means
to make a good road. The good road
has been defined as much-travclled
highwayin the country, covered with
stone, bound solid and laid so deep
that frost will not affect it or storms
cause it to break up. Another more
concise definition, and one that will
appeal to everybody, is that a good
road should be one that has 4 water
tight roof on it and dry cellar un-
| der it. To build such a road requires
a stone foundation from eighteen
inches to five feet deep.
We all know that good roads cost
money, and naturally seek the return
from financial view. The Depart
ment of Agriculture has estimated
that it costs the farmers of this coun-
try about $95O,OoO,O0O per year to
move their products to railroad sta
tions for shipment. In the North,
the average haul is from six to seven
miles, and in the South and West it
is nearly nine miles. The average
cost of a wagon-load i'll the North is
$1S9 to $2.72 in the other States.
According to the Agricultural De-
partment estimates, it costs the
American farmer about % cents to
haul 4 ton the distance of a mile
On the average railroads, the charge
is less than one-half a cent for haul
ing ton the same distance. An or
binary team can haul two tons on
mile of improved road as easily as it
can haul one ton the same distance.
five study the statistics gathered
by the Agricultural Department on
the length and costs of hauls by
farmers, it is easy to realize how the
profits of farming are eaten up. With
good roads a farmer can get his
goods to market at about one-half
the cost. This means one-half of
$3.50, 100000. While this is stu
pendous, the Departments figures on
the increase of the value of farms and
farm property are even more aston
ishing. Accordingto the calculation,
the increase is more than $5,OOO,-
100000. 1t is estimated that there
are nearly 100000 miles ofroads
in the United States that should be
developed. The cost of making high
ways runs from $4,000 to $1,000
per mile, and a reasonable average
would be about $4,000. In other
words, for the expenditure of$G, 000,-
100000 the farms would beincreased
in value at once by at least $1,000
100000, and the farmers would save
about $5OO,OOO,OOO per year. This
puts before us a simple business pro-
position, the mere statement of
which carries immediate conviction
as to its utility.
Above we have outlined in a gen.
eral way the advantages of good
roads viewed from a practical stand
point. The Department of Agricul-
ture has taken the basis that three
tons ,on a good road are as easily
moved as one ton on an ordinary
road. In actual practice this is hard
ly correct, and we have changed
their figures to make the proportion
about as 1 is to .. For instance, the
estimate of the officials is that $780,.
600, 900 per year would be saved by
the farmers if all roads were i'm
proved, whereas we have taken as a
basis a lower figure than $5OO,OO0,-
600. 1t is our purpose to follow this
interesting subject with another arti-
Gle giving useful data that has here
tofore been hard to obtain.
Secretary of the Nayy- William