Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1904-08-04
Wise Modification.

Wise Modification,
There will come modification OF the
tariff Just as rapidly as conditions sug-
gest that modification is wisdom but
the task of defining changes will be
left to the Republican party, under
the operation of whose policy America
has been so magnificently uplifted and
transformed.- Baltimore American.
Some Figures by an OhiciaI of the
Department of Agriculture - In
crease of Farm Values From Build
ing Good Roads.
"I'he American people have reason to
appreciate the fact that the good roads
question appears at last to be taking
on Il thoroughly practical aspect, with
promise of great benefit to every per-
son living in this country" said an Off
cial of the department of agriculture
to 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 disgusted 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 result
of this our deplorable roads have at
tanned worldwide renown, which
greatly detracts from our reputation of
being an exceptionally enlightened and
progressive people
The willing submission of the Amer
lean people to the needless and burden
some condition of our country roads Is
remarkable circumstance. 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.
ut 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.
1T is conservatively estimated by
government officials that we are need
lessly losing or wasting over $600,00O,-
600 each year because Of our bad
roads. making mud tax of over S.
600, 600 for every working day in the
year and an individual tax of nearly
$S each year for every person in this
country.
This estimate is for the direct mon
ey loss and takes no account of the in
cidental disadvantages, discomforts
and inconveniences of bad roads,
which would probably exceed the di-
rect moneyed 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 equalcd from $25 to 500 an acre
i'll many cases.
"An increase of only $S an acre on
the estimate of G40,0O0,000 acres for
the country would amount to some
thing like $1,000, ,000, 900, or more than
enough to build the best and finest
| main roads in the world-about 1.0O0,
COO miles throughout the entire coun-
| try several times over, and by recently
developed methods in road building the
| best roads can be built for cost which
should not exceed an average of $1,000
/ Il mile. The interest on this sum of
$1,000 100000 ut i per cent would build
all the mainly travelled roads in the
country i'll less than ten years at a cost
| of only 10 per cent Of the increas ased
| farm value.
"From this ii appears that we would
receive benefits from improving our
main roads in the increase of farm val
ues alone equal to two and one-half
fold. or 80 per cent of their cost.
"A direct saving of 5000, 100000 a
! year. figured at ! per cont interest.
would carry & cos. OF $i-.JG3,D1), 800.
! This is over six times, or $50 per cent.
OF the necessary costs Of the main
roads for the entire country.
IF the indirect comforts, benefits
and savings will equal the direct saw
ing we will have another item of $780,
100000. This makes the total benefits
from good main roads equal 10 some
thing Ike $4,000, 100000. or fifteen
times their cost. The interest from
this sum at I per cent would pay the
cost OF building the finest and best
main reads in the world throughout
the entire country each and every year.
These benefits are so enormous that
4 it is difficult to rightly comprehend
them without making some compari-
sons. The benefits of $4,000, 100000,
for instance. are nearly hundred