The French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1896-1912, 1907-05-09
Do Farmers Want Radial Highways?

10 FARMERS want OdUIdA "BA"~JS
Foreseeing objections to the
through roads proposed in some
States, this magazine presented in its
February issue some of the argu-
ments for and against making high
ways to extend in direct line, over
long distances. That article covered
a comparatively small part Of the
up for consideration by the lawmak-
ers Of New York State.
Report says that a number Of
members of the New York Assembly,
now in session, are much concerned
lest legislation proposed should give
to automobiles great through high
ways, which it is asserted would be
little more than speedways, and
would not give good roads to the
farmers and small towns.
Reasons offered for these fears are
that such through roads would ben
eft the agricultural interests of the
State but little, and their local mar
kets scarcely any; that these inter-
ests pay half the cost of road inn
~provement, by direct taxation, and
pay another partSo that cost by con-
:ributions to the State revenues, and
hat because of this whatever State
money does go to make good roads
should be spent for improving the
highways the farmer must use before
any of it should go to make long and
costly through roads.
1t may be admitted frankly that
any proposal to construct such i'm
proved through road, say from AL
bany to Buffalo, would afford to the
farmer and other opponents of such
plan arguments which in few other
places in this country would have so
much of force as they would have in
New York, because such through
road in this State would doubtless be
nearly parallel to and nowhere far
from the Erie Canal, to the New
York Central and to the West Shore
railroads.
Along each of these three lines of
transportation local markets are
strung closely, therefore products of
farms near them need be moved only
a short distance eastward or west
ward. Because they are used by
many people, the public roads ON
Meeting these local markets are, as a
rule, in a condition better than that
of roads leading northward Oh south
ward from them.
For these reasons some may con-
tend that State money for road i'm
provement should first go to make
better all roads having for their main
purpose saving in the cost of moving
products from farm to local markets,
and that the making of long through
roads should wait until such shorter
roads, ~radiating from many local
points, would run together or meet
and so make through lines of high
ways.
But these views meet only a few of
the conditions of this question. 1t is
asserted that the cities of Buffalo and
New York together will pay eighty
five per cent, or $42,500,O0O of the
$50,000,00O which New York State is
to use for improving its public roads.
If it be supposed that two through
highways were made from the east
ern to the western limits of this
State, they would be about 400 miles
in length, or together a small fraction
more than one, per cent. of the total
mileage of public roads in the State.
At $4,000 per mile they would cost
$~3,2O0,000, which would equal GA
per cent. of the 100000 the
State has appropriated for road i'm
proYement.
Were Buffalo and New York City
to pay 42.5 per cent. of that sum,
they would leave only 1;849,0 900 to
be paid by all the other cities and by
the country districts, toward con
structing improved highways, which
would be open for free use by all Or
binary vehicles, including automo-
biles of various classes.
If two such through thoroughfareS
were so made and turned over for
use by automobiles and other motor
vehicles, to the exclusion of all 9th
ers, and If the two roads would cost
$S,200,000, to be paid wholly from
the $4,000, zoo appropriated, $780,
100000 of that appropriation would
remain, and of this sun the two cities
named would contribute $19,8 80 900,
or enough % pay for more than. six
through roads across the whole
length of the State.
So far the country districts seem
to have little just cause for COM
planning of their part of the bargain
for road improvement.-Good Roads
Magazine.