The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-10-20
KAN5AS COMMENT
BAD ROADS.

The Importance of the farmer to this
country well understood by most
people, ana 1T is coming to be real
lzeo that the extravagances of The
iarHier are, In a measure, the extrava-
gances or the nation. In a recent adj
dress. Allerton s. Cushman. one of the
experts Of the department of agricul-
ture, oWelt on a single phase of rural
extraVagance to which this country is
largely subject: bad roads. There are
IN TINS country. he finds, .2;151.760 miles
OF public roads, and the latest available
statistics, those of 1904. show that only
per cent of these roads are improved.
During the year 1866 there were
hauled over these roads S5,4S7, 000, 900
POUNDS OF farm products. From this
great total, it is plainly apparent
that any slight reduction in the cost
sum, II applied to the entire country.
Mr. Cushman figures that the average
cost of hauling per ton per mile is 25
cents. On stone roads in good condi-
ton, the cost is reduced to cents per
ton per mile, and on stone roads in only
fair condition, the cost is IL cents. On
earth roads containing ruts and mud,
the cost is SO cents, on sandy roads, 33
cents when wet, and ga cents when dry.
Although one canot actually see this
money going, the figures indicate
that the United States is paying about
million dollars a day as penalty for
bad roads.-Atchison Globe.
SANQUINE SUFFRAGETTES.
The woman suffragists of New York
have taken new tack. A woman who
formerly lived in Colorado but is now
a resident of New York and who was
a voter in Colorado, applied to the reg
istration officials in New York cleo
ton district for the right to register
md fhrTC 20 or
request was denied. Action is now to
be brought in the courts to compel her
to register, the contention being that as
a citizen of Colorado she was a voter
and that In denying her the right in
New York they are depriving her Of
the rights of a citizen. Coudert Bros,
one of the most famous law firms In
New York will have charge of the case
and it is expected to fight the issue out
clear into the United States supreme
court. The suffragists believe it will re-
suit in a decision that women are en-
titled to all the rights enjoyed by men
under the federal constitution.-Hutch
inson News.
POPULARITY OF CORN-COB PIPES
Corncob pipes, otherwise known as
Missouri Meerschaums," are among
the most lucrative products made from
the cobs of the corn ear. The pipes
al . SLCoPs anu q plCdSdnl ldN VI
to the smoke Many time smokers
prefer them to any other pipe, regard
less of the cost. Enormous quantities
of these pipes are Imported to Europe
and they are smoked in all sections of
the United States To the late tom"
Reed is accredited the honor of popu-
larizing them in the east. While he
was speaker of the house in Washing
ton, Mr.. Reed persisted in smoking his
cob pipe, causing it to be taken up by
the aristocrats in Washington and later
by the sweldom of New York. Few
people realize the. enormous extent of
the traffic In cob pipes.
Missouri is the home of the cob
pipe. They are said to have originated
in Franklin county in that state, and
last year that. county alone exported
22,60S,4 cob pipes, which with the
exported stems and cleaners brought
a revenue of $393,s97a This was more
than half as much as that county real
lied from its live stock or grain ex-
portations, the former bringing $775,-
S6S and the latter $697,S23. 1t is
$136,614 more than was received from
it's forestry expectations, which were
far from Insignificant. It was eight
and one half times as much as the
county realized from the expectation
of butter, milk and cheese combined
Wichita Eagle