The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1908-10-06
FINLEY URGES GOOD ROADS.
President of the Southern Railway
Shows How Interest of Farmers
May be Greatly Enhanced.

May be Greatly Ennanced.
In their replies to my letter Of July
81, 1908. On the subject Of diversifi-
cation Of Southern agriculture and in
dustries some, of the editors to whom
it was sent asked ne to write to them
from time to time on matters Of in-
terest to the people Of our section.
This has led me to take the liberty of
addressing you on topic Of impor-
tance to all our people and especially
to the farmers Of the South.
IF the farm is to be profitable it
must not merely produce abundant
crops, but its products must be put
where they can be sold. By whatever
means Of transportation they may ul-
timately be carried before they reach
The final consumer, our farm products
move primarily over the country high
way, and the condition Of the road
leading from the farm to the ship
ping point or to nearby consuming
centre, such as manufacturing town,
affects materially the profits Of the
farmer and the value Of his farm.
The condition Of the road controls
the size Of the load that can be haul
ed over it and the speed at which it
can be carried. An improvement by
which the farmer is enabled to carry,
with the same vehicle and the same
team, a load rs to 100 per cent heav-
Ter, will result in a substantial say
ing in his time and in the wear and
tear Of his vehicles and teams. The
construction Of good roads leading
from market town has practically
the same effect as bringing the farms
nearer to the town. It extends by
several miles in every direction the
raea of territory which farmers can
profitably engage in market garden
ing and dairying. That this is true has
been effectively demonstrated in those
localities in the Southern States and
in other sections of the country where
road improvements have been carried
out intelligently and Systematically.
The cost to tie farmer Of hauling
his products over poor roads is not al
ways appreciated for the reason that
it is rare that farmer pays for hav-
ing his hauling done. The United
States department Of agriculture has
made an Investigation of'this matter:
however, and the results show the
cost for cotton, for instance, to be an
average rate Of q cents per ton per
mile for an average haul of Ills
miles. That road improvement would
materially reduce this cost is shown
by the following striking statement
in the year book Of the agriculture
department for 1906:
"If it were possible to increase
the average weight of wagon load
of cotton in the United States from
three bales, as it now is, to four
bales, without increasing the cost Of
hauling the load, the saving on a
crop equal to the one picked in 1905
would amount to $2,O0O,000; and if
the average load Of wheat, now 55
bushels, were increased by 20 bushels,
the saving effected in hauling crop
like that Of 1905 would be more. than
$8,OOO.OOo."
In addition to what may be termed
the commercial aspect Of good roads
they have a highly important social
aspect as we'll. They bring>the farm
er into closer touch with the world at
large. He and his family are not
forced to remain at home for days at
a time because the conditions Of the
roads may make travelling unpleas-
ant if not difficult. Good roads in
sure efficient and prompt rural mail
deliveries, placing the newspaper on
the table of the farmer early on the
day Of its publication, enabling him
to transact much of his business by
mail and to take advantage Of early
information as to fluctuation in the
price Of his farm products. Good
roads mean that the farmer and the
members Of his family can enjoy to
a greater degree the society of their
neighbors and friends in the town
and country. They mean that his
children can be more regular in
school attendance and can receive to
a greater degree the advantages of