The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-12-27
PENSACOLA FLORIDA. SUNDAY MORNING ppcp,IBER = 1905

whatever may be thought of freight
charges by the railroads, charges
which are known in very many in
stances to be unjust1y excessive, still
they are but an insignificant figure
when compared with the cost of haul
ing from the base of production to
the point of shipment.
1t Is certain that the railroads
should be compelled to carry out their
function as public carriers at the low
est rates consistent with fair profit,
but it is equally certain and of far
greater importance that county roads
should be go constructed as to mini
mize. a. far as possible, the consump-
ton of time and the wear and tear of
stock and vehicles which are employ
ed in the original haul.
1t is difficult to realize. but it is
nevertheless true that the railroads
do only ten per cent. of the hauling
OF products before they are placed
upon the market, while ninety per
cent is done in wagons moved by
horses, mules or oxen. And as it costs
twenty-five cents ton on an average
TO move these products over country
road and as the average haul is nine
miles, it is easy to see what vast
sum of money must be added to the
aggregate cost of production and
levied upon the consumer to pay for
this haul-no less than 1925 a ton.
The Southern Lumberman, whose
editor has been investigating this mat
ter presents the following statistics:
In the United States Department of
Agriculture is an office devoted to
public roads, from which the esti-
mates given of wagon roads are taken,
and they may he taken as approx
mately correct During the crop year
Of 1905-06 S5,467 100000 pounds of
farm products. consisting of barley,
corn, cotton, fax-seed, hemp, hops,
oats, beans, rice, tobacco, wheat and
wool, were hauled on wagons to ship
ping points. Consider this vast
weight at $2.25 per ton, and one can
get an idea of where the transporta-
ton charges originate. This list does
not include ell the crops. 1t leaves
out all the garden truck. orchard prod
ucts, poultry and dairy products,
honey. homemade sugar and syrup.
nor does 1t include any of the products
OF the mines and forests, nor any OF
the things hauled In wagons from the
cities, towns or deDotS back TO the
farms. I'M the old countries OF Europe
where they have reduced road build
ing to science. copied, perhaps, from
their predecessors, the Romans, it is
shown that the cost per ton per m.le
of animal vehicle power Is fully IL
cents, or Is cents less than it costs
over our system of public roads. ahe
figures of the tonnage hauled on
wagons, as shown, do not give the
products that run up into the millions
OF tons. yet the saving of cost by the
use of good roads on S5.4S7 .000, 600
pounds amounts to $4,000. 900.
With such figures before us it is I'M
possible not to be convinced that the
first duty of the state is to provide
good roads to enhance the welfare of
its population. The legislature should
equip itself with thorough knowledge
OF the situation and should devise
some method to satisfy this urgent
need, A plan is certain to be evolved
il the question is intelligently and
earnestly taken up. What, for IN
stance, is the paltry sum of money de-
rived by the state from the leasing of
its conviets when compared with the
millions which would be saved the
people by employing the Labor Of
these concists for building good roads?
or course, this is no new suggestion;
but that fact rather increases than
diminishes its force.
The point is TO take the matter up
enthusiastically and without delay, |
realizing most completely its over
shadowing Importance, its absolute ne
cessity ON the score of economy and |
for purposes of developing the re-
sources, and increasing the wealth of |
our great peninsular commonwealth. |
The method to be employed is mat |
ter TO be arrived at after due consid- |
Grafton. The main point is TO make
up our minds that these roads must |
be provided and to go to work imms-
diately to reach happy solution OF
the problem
----s--~---
-. D.. -