Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1909-03-30
DIRT ROADS ADVOCATE
Farmer Shows They May Be Had
at Small Cost.
HUNDRED DOLLARS PER MILE
Earth Highways, Scientifically Built
and Regularly Maintained, Are De-
sirabIe, Says p. j. Jewett, Where
Cost of Rock Roads Is Too Heavy.

and Regularly Maintained, Are De
sirabIe, Says p. J. Jewett, Wher
Cost of Rock Roads Is Too Heavy
?. J. Jewett, a farmer near Butler
Mo, has written to the Kansas Cit!
Star as follows on the subject of goo(
roads:
l have been reading with interest the
various letters and editorials in the
Star on the subject Of good roads, as
/ read with interest anything on this
subject anywhere. Although a farm
er, am also good roads" man.
am pleased to see the interest
shown, and, while l don't want to
knock" l am afraid the cause Is be-
ing injured by its friends who write in
that they seem to think no road good
one unless 1t is made Of rock at a cost
of $1,000 to $1,000 a mile.
| will state as briefly as | can how
the subject looks to me, and believe
| will voice the opinion Of rs per cent
Of the farmers in the corn belt.
1t IS evident that if roads are made
in the country the people who live
there Qarmers) must either do the
work or pay for 1t. Individually l
have little interest in roads other than
those In my immediate neighborhoOd
and those leading to my market. In
twenty-five years 1 have not driven so
far that | could not get back the same
day. If / have to make trip Of any
considerable distance l take train. l
am not yet able to keep a motor car
for pleasure and am not willing to
make roads for those who are.
l live in an average township In
western Missouri that has sixty miles
Of road Our assessed valuation is
S3j0000. To make rock roads at the
lowest estimated price per mile, $4,000,
would cost $1S0,000, or more than half
the value Of all the property In the
township To make one mile at $1,000 |
would require a tax of SO cents on |
500. A rock road is never the best |
road If it was we would not avoid it, |
rs we always do, when the ground is |
dry and speed rings would be made
that way. 1t Is not permanent, and the |
cost Of maintaining six miles would be |
more than we now put on sixty. | |
know that the idea is to improve the
most important roads first and the
others later but the one who lives a
mile from the improved road can take
no more than he can pull over the un-
improved one.
| note the argument that | can take
larger loads, make better time, get
better prices, all Of which | admit. but
my present income would have to be
Increased very much to enable me to
stand this cost also note that good
roads will enable me to sell my farm
for greater price. Suppose l don't
want 10 sell. We are not all specula-
tors. Would an acre produce more If
its price was 500 than 1t would IL 1t
was $50? Without doubt | would pay
twice as much tax. If want to sell
it's different, though much like life in
surance-a game you have to die to
beat
DO you see why farmers promptly
rote down anything along this line?
In Missouri the farmers killed the ten
'ent state road tax, that was really In
heir favor, because they thought It
was TO build a state road, In which
hey had no interest
Don't think we are "mossbacks."
We want good roads and appreciate
heir value, but If we must make them
We Insist that they be Of a kind that
sc can afford and that will suit our
leeds
Why not try good dirt roads? With
he exception of n few miles say 10
ier cent near the towns, where travel
good dirt road properly
maintained would be the very best
'0sSible eight months In the year, a
,ood one ten and passably the other
wu- | believe 500 a mile would
make good dirt roads In our township.
nd with 5000 more we could grade
loWu the hills, grade up the low
'laccs, tile out the wet ones. properly
.rldc and ditch them and put in con
ret" Culverts where bridges were not
cquirel-in fact make a modern rock
oad without the rock.
As 90 maintenance. mile Of thirty =,
GOT road can be dragged once for 80 :
ents. An average Of ten times will !
e ample. But let's say fifteen, and /.
We have a cost Of $3.50. A grader !
hould be run over the road once !.
ear 10 open bitches and maintain !,
roper shape Two horse graders are :.
ow made that win do this work at !,
2.JO a mile; blowing furrow in bitches. !,
cents. To sum up. then. we have
bis result:
COST PER MILE.
MAINTENANCE ONE YEAR. &
raging ..-----.-..-.-....---..-- $50
ading --4---.--..-...-.-.. 80
lowing -.---.-... ................-. 60 lo.b0 n