The Jersey City news., 1906-06-04
Farmers Fancy They Pay
for Changes to Please
Tourists When They
Themselves Are the Gain
erS
LAND VALUE. INCREASES
LOSS OF CROPS OFTEN RESULT
ED FROM INABILITY TO HAUL
THE CARGOES OVER THE
ROADS.

hOADS.
Let us consider the points of opposition
that some of our rural friends make to
the good roads plan, says a writer in the
'iNotor News" They claim that it is
money out of their pockets when they
are compelled to pay the increased taxes
which will be asked. This objection will
be readily met.
In the first place. our friends are called
cost, which is in itself very small sum.
If own a house in the city and a pave
| ment is laid in front of it, my property
increases in value. just so with the
farmer. IT good road is laid past his
property, he is placed in just the same
position that l would be.
The actual increased valuation of his
farm more than makes up for the addi-
tional tax he was obliged to pay to Sc
cure the improvement. Now, as to his
profit. He can haul large loads Of pro
duce to the city each trip, he can make
: more trips in given time and he can
travel at any period of the year with
equal facility, barring the time when
snow blocks his way.
Jolting over rough roads, mud covered
reeking horses and broken harnesses and
wagons are largely done away with. He
no longer arrives home late at night af-
ter hours of agony over terrible roads,
ry, he suffers no more inconvenience as
far as the highway is concerned than if
he were riding in an electric car.
| realize that the so-called scorcher.
has brought much discrsdie ee the law
abiding autoist and that many a farmer
has been scared nearly to death when
some motorist has whizzed past him at
forty miles an hour, but this is an ex-
ception to the rule and is becoming more
and more so as time passes. l dare say
that this same farmer has been nearly
run down on an equal number of occa-
eions by one of his own ilk trying out
the speed of his horse or racing with a
friend
How many of us while travelling
through the country in the fall have not
seen hundreds of bushels of fine apples
rotting in the orchards? Why hasn't
this fruit been brought into the city and
sold? One reason, opine, is that the
deep he would pcs6se % stay By his
the city.
If there was an improved highway the
owner would probably figure out that it
would pay him to save this product.
Another side of the question may be
found in the social life of the ruralite.
Many time he would like to drive into
the city for a little pleasure. He might
want to attend the theatre or seek some
other equally harmless diversion. If he
had a good highway to drive over he
would do so, but with mud nearly hub
deed he would prefer to stay yby his
| fireside and find solace in nicotine.
This means much to the young people,
and you will find that when we get the
state girdled with good roads-and it's
coming-there won't be such anxiety to
| get off the farm and into the city. HUI
man nature demands some pleasure in
this world, and it will sometimes go a
long way to get it, though it entails
much suffering Give us improved
thoroughfares, then the country boy and
| girl will have greater chances for social
intercourse and will become more con-
tented.