Omaha daily bee., 1909-12-16

show that IL was much more important to
have good roads in the farming districts
than to have better waterways. ID. Ward
King, inventor OF the split log drag, a
man with a national reputation, told how
to get good roads without cost.
While we have the best railroad system
In the world. our public highways are
worse than those Of any civilized nation,
Russia alone excepted" said Mr.. Ed
ridge. who is OF the United States office
of public roads Of the Department OF Agri-
culture.
There are 2,1b1,O 900 miles Of public roads
in the United States, and of this mileage
only 8 $1,000 miles have been improved; that
il only 7 per cent. In other words. we
have 1000. 900 miles OF roads which are
mud In winter and dust in summer enough
bad roads to reach around the earth at
the equator eighty times.
ITO ship a bushel Of wheat from New
York to Liverpool In 1906 cost SS cents a
bushel. but 1t cost the farme 50 cents to
ship a bushel of wheat from his farm to
the railroad station. an average distance
Of 90 miles. In other words. 1t cost the
farmer more to get his crop to market OF
to the shipping point in many Instances
than 1t does from the shipping point to its
final destination, by rail or water"
Effect ON Cost of Hauling.
To show the effect of road Improvement
on the cost OF hauling, Mr.. Eldrldge called
attention to a specific case which recently
came under his observation. Tho o
from cambridge to jefferson City, Tenn,
is ten miles long, On this road. before i'm
provement, twenty bushels Of wheat made
a good load for a two-horse team, reauir.
Ing one day to make the trip, Estimating
the cost of men and team at Ss per day, the
cost per bushel would be Is cents. The
road has recently been improved and the
trip is now made in two-thirds of a day
and fifty bushels OF. wheat Is hauled with
the same two-horse team, costing IN.
proximately 81 for the load. or 4 cents a
bushel.
Showing the effect OF road Improvement
on farm lands, Mr.. Eldridge called atten-
ton to a farm which was recently sold In
Sullivan county, Tennessee. This farm be.
lonsed to John Fain Of Bristol, who or,
fered 1t for sale three years ago for SIS. 600
but failed to secure a purchaser, The farm
consists of 400 acres OF fairly good upland.
The road. which ran through the farm.
was one Of the worst in the state. This
road has been recently m~acadamized and
last fall Mr.. Tain sold his farm without
difficulty for S25. 900
How to Raise Funds.
MI Eldridge went into the subject OF
raising money for road improvement and
methods OF road administration. He sug-
SeFted direct cash taxes for road improve
ment instead of labor taxes and explained
the system Of state aid which has been
adopted in twenty-five states. This new
feature consists OF apnrnpriatlng from the
general state treasury a portion OF the
cost to building the most important roads,
the counties and the townships paying
for the remainder.
In good roads sections the farmers
raise fruit and vegetables which produce
ar average for vegetables for the United
States Of sA2 per acre and for fruit about
Sso, while the average for grain, whear
corn and oats Is from 81 to IS an acre
said Mr. Eldridse.
The power required to pull a ton Il
market on the average clay road is about
l2 pounds, on the best gravel road n
takes about seventy-five pounds, but OF
the best macadam roads it takes blu