Bismarck daily tribune., 1908-12-18
VALUE OF GOOD ROADS.

VALUE OF GOOD ROADS.
The value of good roads to the
farmers of the country is set forth
in the annual report of the secre-
tary of agriculture. just at the pres
ent time the movement in behalf of
good roads is live issue in many of
the states, and some of the statistics
presented by the department Of agri-
culture are interesting, as follows:
For many years the department
has endeavored to impress upon pro-
ducers and consumers the close and
intimate relationship Of the public
road to agriculture, and while en-
deayoring by practical demonstration
and scientific experiment to improve
methods of construction and mainte-
nance, has lost no opportunity of
awakening the public to proper ap-
probation of the great economic inn
portanee of road Improvement and
the necessity for reform in the man
agement of the public roads. Some
conception may be had of the immen-
sity of the task by considering the
fact that there are 2,151, 900 miles of
road in the United States, suf-
hcient length to encircle the globe
at the equator with Sc parallel roads.
The total expenditure upon roads for
1904 was nearly $50, 1000, 900. At that
time about $4,000 miles had been sur
faced with stone, 10S,2OO with gravel,
and $500 with special materials, ma
king the whole mileage of improved
roads only TIA per cent of the total.
An effort has been made by the engi-
neers of this department. to estimate
the mileage of improved roads in
1908, and the total value of all roads
including bridges and rights of way.
Taking the 1904 figures as a basis,
and assuming that the macadam
roads have increased 12.5 per cent,
the gravel Is per cent, and those sur
faced with special materials 25 per
cent, we have 43,450 miles of maca-
dam, 124,46s of gravel, and s,512 sur
faced with special materials. The
cost of the macadam has been esti-
mated at $4,000 per mile, Of the grav-
ell at $1,500, and of other surfacing
materials at $1,000. y.
There is about 1,975,O0 miles Of
earth road, which it is estimated has
cost for grading, culverts, bridges,
and all other items of expense an av-
erage OF $500 per mile The right
Of way, which has been estimated at
40 feet in width for the entire mile
age. is worth at the average acreage
valuation as given in census reports
$342, 900, 900, making a total estimated
cost Of 81, ,720, ,339 900 for all the roads
of this country Over these roads
at least 25, 900 900 tons of freight are
hauled every year to railroads, not
including the immense tonnage haul-
ed to wharves and docks for water
shipment, which we are unable to
estimate The data collected by the
department indicate that this hauling
is done at an average cost of not less
than % cents per ton per mile, and
that the average haul is about nine
miles which goes TO show that the
Transportation over the public roads
to the railroads represents an annua
cost. Of over half a billion dollars
Hauling in France is done in man.
cases at as low cost as seven cent
per ton per mile, and the averag'
there is probably not more than hal
of the average for the United States
The selling price of farm product
Id largely determined by factors be
yond control OF the farmer. His pros
perity must be measured by the maj
gin Of profit above the cost OF pre-
duction and of transportation; an
" 1t is only when the great agriculture
population awakens to a realizatio
that the road problem is a farm prof
lem that we can look for substar
tfal progress in this important branc
of transportation"
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