Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1909-11-19


lines. OF this amount, agricultural,
forest. and miscellaneous products con-
stituted about 80 per cent, or approxi-
mately 265 million tons. IL we assume
that 200 million tons, or less than so
per cent. of this total, was hauled over
the country roads, the cost at twenty
three-cents on an average haul of 81
miles would be s4s2, 400, 900. To this
must be added the enormous tonnage
hauled from farms to canals, whaFyes,
and docks for shipment by water. If
the cost of this hauling is placed at only
$67. 500. 900, the total wonld reach the
startling sum of half a billion dollars
annually, and this does not INCLUDE the
products hauled back and forth between
farms and mills. To meet the possible
contention that 80 per cent. Is high
estimate of the agricultural, forest, and
miscellaneous products hauled by wagon.
attention is called to the fact that many
million tons Of mining products are
hauled by wagon, and these are not
considered in this estimate.
Is this cost necessary and legitimate?
The experience Of France, England. and
Germany affords the answer to this
query. In those three countries, the
average cost of hauling is reported by
our cpnsuls to be about ten cents per
ton per mile. Leading writer's on high
way engineering state that the cost of
hauling on broken stone roads, dry and
in good order, should be eight cents PEP
ton per mile. When it IL considered
that the roads of England. France. and
Germany are, to large extent, surfaced
with broken stone, the consular reports
seem to be in entire agreement with
the engineers. If the cost of hauling
can be reduced in the United States to
cents ton, the resultant saving would
be $3.50, 000, 900 q year. And. IL wise
and equitable road laws and good bust
ness management are substituted for
the present aptiguated and wasteful
systems, an additional direct saving Of
$40. 600. 600 in the administration of the
roads willresult; so that by the simplest
possible process of reasoning, il is APP
parent that the people Of this country
have it within their power to save them
selves $3.50. 900. 900 a year in the two
items of hauling and road administration.
Seventy years ago, the charge for
hauling on the Cumberland Pike was
seventeen cents per ton per mile, and
this allowed profit. Our railroad and
steamship rates have gone down and
our common road rates have gone up,
until it now costs the farmer 1.6 cents
more to haul bushel of wheat 9. 4 miles
from his farm to neighboring railroad
station than it does to haul it from New
York to Liverpool, a distance of 8, 100
miles. These are conditions which
should hasten the era of road building.
The high cost of hauling Is not the
only burden which the American people
are carrying by reason of their bad
roads. In traversing a region of country
isolated from markets by reason of bad
roads. one is struck by the wastes of
untitled land and by the lack Of variety
in the products. This is q condition
more frequently due to lack of adequate
transportation facilities than to lack of
industry and intelligence of the inhabi-
tants. The point may be illustrated by
assuming series of concentric circles
to be drawn about a market town or
station, constituting zones of produc-
tion in all of which the roads are uni
formly bad.
Within the first zone, all products
can be delivered to market at a profit.
Within the second zone, certain pro-
ducts must be eliminated because of
the length of haul. Milk, small
fruits, and certain kinds Of vege-
tables requiring quick delivery and
careful transportation might be cited
as examples. In the third zone. still
other products must be eliminated,
because of the prohibitive cost of haul
ing. The fourth zone will include only
those products which can be held until
the roads are passable and then hauled
long distances and sold at profit. Be-
yond this zone, the land must be left
unproductive or utilized for grazing and
timber.
Every improvement in the roads wild
ems these zones. makes unproductive
land productive. and enables the
farmer to exercise wider discretion
in determining the character of his
crops. The prosperity of the individual
farmer becomes far greater. the traffic
of the railroad increases. the consumer
receives better supplies at lower prices,
and thus the beneficial effects continue
in an overwhelming circle. like the rip
pie produced by stone cast in the
water.
On June /, 1900, there was nearly
425 million acres of uneultivated land in
the United States. That improved roads
will prove an important factor in devel-
oping this great domain cannot be ques-
toned. The golden possibilities which
are opening ~p TO the tiller of the soil
as soon as he is brought in touch with
the markets and can successfully prac-
tise intensive farming are foreshad-
owed by the significant statement in
the census reports to the effect that the
average value per acre of vegetables
produced in the United States in 1885
was SAP. and of small fruits $50. 80;
while the average for corn was only
$S.72, wheat $7.03. and oats 1874. The
meaning of these facts is being grasp.
ed by the intelligent farmers through
out the length and breadth of the land