The Kennewick courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1905-1914, 1908-11-27
GOOD ROADS FROM A
FARMERS STANDPOINT
Attorney J. E. Ronald, of Seattle, Shows
~s Greatest Benefits of Good Roads
Accrue to the Farmer

The farmer is too prone to lool:
upon the advocate of better roads
rs the representative of the automo
bile club. A plea for macadam roads
is considered an appeal for a high
taxation for the sole pleasure of the
tourist, to the damage of the farm
er. On no question pertaining to
his calling does the farmer manifest
SO great a nlisconception as upon the
subject of good roads. 1t is not my
purpose to speak concerning the
manner OF material or grade, or 10
cation of roads. That belongs to
the highway engineer. 1t is my pur-
rose in this address to discuss tn.
question from the standpoint of the
best interest of the farmer, the gard
ener and the teamster. These, like
ali the rest Of us, are after the dol
lar. Show the farmer where the bet.
ter roads are to his pccuniary advan-
tage. and you have converted him
Now, it is my purpose in this address
to show two things: First. Tha:
bad roads are the source of his
greatest loss. Second. That he will
derive from road Improvement meal
culably greater benefit in various
ways than any other class of peopla
l want to show the farmer that good
roads benefit him financially, politi-
cally and socially moro than any 9TH
er class of the population. For years
the government of the United States
has maintained a bureau of good
roads under the Department of Agri-
culture. The greatest fidelity AM
diligence has been exercised, with a
view of aGoriing complete and ac
curate information touching the sub
Ject with which this bureau deals.
These statistics show conclusively
that the localities where good roads
have been built are becoming rich
er, more prosperous and more thick
ly settled. while those which do not
possess these advantages in transpor-
tatlon are either at a standstill or
are becoming poorer and more
sparsely settled. Some ten years ago
the Department Of Agriculture of the
United States caused investigation to
be made concerning "the cost of
hauling farm products to market or
to shippirg points in European coun-
tries" They have macadam roads
over there. These statistics are in
teresting and will serve to show the
enormous 'pecuniary benefit of a
sood road over a bad one.
In Belgium, the principal products
investigated were cereals and sugar
beets. One horse will haul one kilo-
gram, Oh 2204 pounds. over and
above the weight of the wagon. Is
IL miles per day and return, at an
average cost Of 3-5 cents per ton
per mile, allowing little over Il
cents per day for keep of horse and
9G 1-2 cents per day for driver.
In England, investigations were
made with the various consular dis
tricts, and covered the items of ex
pense from the various towns to the
market town or main shipping point.
The cost is from 6 to IL cents per
mile, according to the character of
the roads. For instance, in the Leeds
consular district the roads are some
what hilly but are Of the very best.
Here the average lead for two horses
is 44oO pounds--the average trip be-
ing ten miles to station each day
and return. at an average cost of
only six cents per ton per mile, while
In the Sheffield consular district,
where the roads are not SO good.
the average length of haul to the
market towns being only six miles
the average load being the same, the
average cost is from eight to twelv,
cents per ton per mile Touching
the excellent roads around Leeds, the
report says:
Except for these good roads and
cheap transportation, these York
farmers could not compete in their
farm products with the products os
foreign countries brought so cheaply
by ocean freight
In France. the statistics which I
examined cover only dairy and gar
den products. 1t is not unusual TO
find one horse hauling two tons ov-
er the roads of France. The av-
erage length of haul in the districts
reported is Il 2-5 miles and return:
The average cost. counting two horses
and one man to a wagon, being niue
cents per ton per mile. In one in
staA He the report was very detailed
and showed that the transportation
directly from the field to market
cost one-half cent per ton per m le
more than from the barn, the differ-
ence arising on account of having
ROAD from the barn, while across
the field there was no road.
In Germany we find the most de-
tailed or iteniized statement of all.
ihe average cost over a turnpike is
little less than one-half the av-
erage cost over the country road, the
average load for two horses being
TWO Kilograms or 4408 pounds, while
the average haul to the Berlin mar
kets is 93 miles The German farm
er arrives at his cost by allowing
1or wages and board Of driver, the