The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1908-11-27
BAD ROAD COSTS
MORE Than GOOD
representative Humphreys Making a
Study of Road Economics.

the department Of agriculture was unde1
discussion In April, Representative
Benjamin Humphreys OF Greenville, Miss
made the epigrammatic statement that
"no road can cost the farmer as much al
a poor one" That touched the very
kernel OF road economics, for careful
research and exhaustive study has
proved that the poor roads Of the nation
place mud and hill-climbing tax Of not
less than quarter Of billion dollars a
year on those who use them.
The representatives. sparkling little
sentence was an answer to query by
Representative Sims OF Tennessee as to
the cost Of building the unique burnt
clay roads OF the South-a system
evolved by the experts of the office Of
public roads Of the United States depart
ment Of agriculture at an almost incal-
culable benefit to the cotton growers of
the South.
Mr.. Humphreys had explained in ex-
tense the skilled methods adopted by
Engineer Spoon. who had been ordered
by Director Logan Waller Page Of the
Office of public roads to go to the delta
district of Mississippi and make study
Of conditions. He laid logs along
stretches Of impassable thoronghfares,
which had as basis the sticky "gumbo"
clay of the South; burnt them to such
purpose that the clay was changed en-
tirely in character, and then supervised
the construction Of road that for haul
ing purposes is little short Of the splen-
did macadam roads Of the North and
East.
COST OF GOOD ROADS.
"It depends entirely upon the charac-
tor Of the country through which the
road passes" said Mr.. Humphreys, when
asked what it all cost. III it be wooded
SO that fuel can be bought for, say $l.25
cord, the road can be made for Sl,500
a mile. | may say that it costs from
one-half to one-hfth as much as ma
cadam road costs, and it is easily and
cheaply maintained"
"In country where the people have
never gone into the building Of good
roads the thought Of paying $4,000 a
mile seems prohibitive. Where the ex-
pertinent is once made, however, we all
know that the people, and especially
the farmers, who usually at first are
most violently opposed to the undertak-
ing, demand that the roads be construct
ed, and are most willing to bear the tax"
In explaining how easily the burden
of taxation would be borne, even If the
authorities Of his county decided to ex-
pend half million In the construction
of perfect system OF bigh-class roads,
Mr.. Humphreys said: III the farmer,
instead Of hauling six bales of cotton
with two mules, as could be done with
ease last winter over the burnt clay
road near Greenyille (the only one built
as model by Engineer Spoon Of Direct
or Pages ofice), could haul but two, he
would be taxed for bad road at higher
rate than anybody was ever taxed for
good road, not counting the wear and
taau m ,,,,,I~o ccJ vv,c Sv,no
81 have seen seed cotton In the pens
in July which had been picked after the
rains had begun to fall In the previous
winter, and which had not been hauled
to the railroad where the gin was located
because the roads were too bad to travel.
Think of the tax that man was paying,
and that, too, for road he could not
travel"
FARMERS RECEIVE HENEFIT.
Mr.. Humphreys, who has taken great
interest in the splendid work being done
by Director Page, and who ia apparently
thoroughly familiar with the expert
ments and scientific advancements being
made by that scholarly road expert
named number Of the publications is
sued by the Office and told Of the vast
benefits the farmers Of the country were
receiving through their distribution.
He referred especially to the efficacy OF
the split-log drag a. road builder and
maintainer, and read letters from men
who had attained the most gratifying
results from the use Of this simple but
effective device.
Too few people realize the Importance
Of the truths voiced By the member
from Mississippi during the debate. he
never made truer statement In the
course Of his distinguished legislative
career than the ono that mo road can
cost the farmer = much ss poor one.
Last year the 9.O00. 900 miles Of poor
roads in the United States cost vast
fortune 70 the farmers and incidentally
another to the city men; the added cost
70 the farmers II hauling farm pro
ducts over tho weli-nigh impossible
foads being ii tbs end, paid BY the men
Who consume them. Statistics gathered
from the leading countries Of Europe
prove that the cost of hauling over the
American foxds y ~ higher than any