The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1908-11-27
{ Good Roads. z
important as Schools.

One VI the most important move
ments which has been started in
Georgia in long time is that in the
interest of good roads and it is
earnestly hoped that the efforts which
are now being made to that end will
bear abundant fruit.
The chamber of commerce will en-
deavor to secure a good road con-
gress, and asks the cooperation of
the Governor and the city and county
authorities.
1t Is no exaggeration to say that
good roads are as important in many
respects as public school system.
They contribute In practical way
to the upbuilding of the whole State.
They knit the State into neighbor-
hoods and bring every farm house
into closer proximity to the markets.
They stimulate and encourage social
and business inter-communication
Many times over they pay the cost of
their construction by increasing the
taxable value Of the lands through
which they run and hence the tax
revenue of the various counties.
Mr.. Walter G. Cooper, secretary of
the chamber of commerce, has made
statement OF the economic value Of
good roads which is little less than
startling to those who are not famil-
lar with the facts. He shows that a
system of good roads In Georgia
would mean saving of ten millions
of dollars year to the people of the
State. The cost of hauling by rail
in the United States is about three
fourths of cent per ton mile; haul
ing on the average country road costs
about twenty-five cents, while hauling
I on sandy roads in dry weather costs
about sixty cents per ton mile.
1t requires no very elaborate math-
ematical calculation to see how great
burden it is upon the people who
have to pay this heavy cost of road
transportation, when it would be an
easy matter to reduce that cost to
one-third or one-fourth the present
expense.
The cost on the average country
/ roads of Europe and the best roads
in this country, like the road from
here to Roswell, for instance, is only
about eight cents per ton mile, as
compared, we have seen, with twenty
five cents on the average road.
1t now costs about fifteen million
dollars year to do the hauling on the
country roads of the State, and TWEEN.
ty-five millions to pay the freight bills
Of the railways of Georgia, although
the wagons haul only five million
tons, as against twenty million tons
hauled by the railroads.
tits evident at a glance that three
| fourths of the burdens which the
people of Georgia now have to bear
for transportation could be abolished
by system of good roads, and when
that saving was effected the benefits
would have only begun. The good
| results would be felt in every channel
Of our social and business life.
This road building can be accom-.
plished at a comparatively small cost.
While it Is true that macadam road,
thirty feet wide, would cost five thou
sand dollars mile, sand-clay road,
such as may be built throughout the
greater part Of Georgia, could be
constructed for about one hundred
and fifty dollars mile, and would
stand we'll in all weather with the
average traffic. This is a condition
which applies to at least half the area
of tho State of Georgia.
Let the people of Georgia pause
and consider what it would mean tc
be able to save ten million dollars a
year on transportation charges. The
number of things we could do with
that money fairly kindles the mag.
nation. And yet, as we have said,
this saving in transportation is but
one Of the many benefits to be de.
rived from good roads
Atlanta Journal.