Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1908-10-02
LETTER FROM PRECEDENT FIN
LEY.
SOUTHERN RAILWAY COMPANY.
Office of the Pr sldent.
Washington, d. O., Oct. ] 1908.

letter of July 31st, 1908, on the subject
If diversificalion of southern sgricul-
,ure and industries, some of the editors
to whom 1t was sent asked me to write
TO them from time tn time on matters
of interest to the people of our section.
This has led me to take the liberty OF
addressing you on the topic Of importance
to ell our people and especially to the
farmers Of the south.
Ii the farm is TO be profitable 1t must
not merely produce abnndsDt crops,
but 1t, products must be pat where they
can be sold. By whatever means Of
transportation they may be ultimately
carried before they reach the 6nsl con-
sumer, our farm products move primarily
over the country highway, and the con-
ditIon of the road leading from the farm
to the shipping point or to near by COD
sumiDg center, such as a manufacturing
town, affects materially the profits OF
the farmer and the value OF the farm.
The condition of the road controls the
size of the load that can be hauled over
1t and the speed st which it can be
carried. An Improvement by which the
farmer Is enabled to carry, with the
same vehicle and the same team, load
seventy-fVe or Oue hundred per cent.
heavier, will result ia a substantial
saving In his time and iD the wear and
tear Of bis vehicles and teams. The
construction of good roads leading from
q market town has practically the same
effect ss bringing the farms nearer to
town. 1t extends by several miles 10
every direction the area of territory 10
which farmers can proftsbly engage 10
market gardening and dairyiDg. That
this Is true hiss been effectively demon
ted In those localities In the south
era states aud in other sections Of the
country where road improvement Is have
bs en- carried out intelligently and syste-
matically.
The cost to the farmer of hauling his
products over poor roads is not always
appreciated, for the reason that it is rare
that farmer pays for having his haul
ing done. The United Ststss Department
of Agriculture has made an investigation
of this mat er. however, and the results
show the cost for cotton, for instance, to
be an average rate of twenty-seven cents
per ton per mile for an average haul Of
II s miles. That road improvement
would materially reduce this cost is
shown by the following striking state
meut in the Year Book Of the Agricul-
tursl Department for 1906:
eff it were possible to increase the av-
erage weight of q wagonlosd Of cotton 10
the United States from three bales, as 1t
now is, to four bales, without increasing
the cost of hauling the load, the saving
on q crop equal to the one picked In
1905 would amount to 81, 900, 900; and If
the average load of wheat. now 65
bushels, were increased by 20 bushels,
the saving effected In hauling a crop like
that of 1905 would bs more than IS, 000,-
OOO."
In addition to what may be termed
the commercial aspect of good roads they
have highly imporlar socisl aspect as
we'll. They bring the farmer into closer
touch with the world at lsrge. He aud
his family are not forced TO remain at
home for days at time because the con.
dition of the roads may make travelling
unpleasant II not difficult. Good roads
insure 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 trans
act much Of bis business by mail aud to
take advantage OF 'srly information as
to fuctustiou in the prices of his faro,
products. Good roads mean that the
farmer and the members of his family
can enjoy to greater degree the society
of their Deighbors and friends 10 the
town and country. They mean that his
children can be more regular In school
attendance and can receive tU q greater
degree the advantages OF education.
They mean the bringing closer together
of the town and country, With advan-
tages on both sides, for IS the farmer Is
benefited by being brought into closer
touch with the town, 80 all the business
interests OF the town prosper IS the
result OF the facility with which the
farmer and bic family can do shopping.
Good roads also benefit the inhabitants
Of towns and cities by aaording facilities
for pleasant country drives. They In
vite the business man to the establish.
ment of country and suburban homes,
such as he can enjoy only when he Is
assured that the condition of the roads
will be such as to enable him to reach
his place of business promptly in al
kinds OF weather.
l think 1t may truthfully be ssid tha
there sre few matters of such genera
importance to all the people of any
community ss the provision of gooC
roads, and / believe, therefore, that al
Of rs who have the progress and pros
periety of the South ct heart should d.
all in our power to aid in the creator
of 3 public opinion favorable to rost
Improvement. The system that shoulC
be adopted 10 any locality is one or
which it would not be proper for me u
tender advice, even If / were qualified
to do so. 1t Is necessarily q matte
that can best be determined by th'
people titectly Interested and wao ar
| 6gOuain -t.L L. raooifaR uaa1a AM