The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1909-06-26

|of the finest sand-clay road in the
South had been built within two years
from the date OF the bond Issue gen.
erous sum was still on hand eight
gangs were At work. and the people
were 30 pleased that they stood ready
TO take up the remaining Issue Of
t43. 900 and expend II In the same way
IL 10 the belief OF the Director OF the
Office OF Public Road that such facts
should be impressed npon the people OF
all counties DESTROYS OF extending and
improving their highways before act
nal work Is under way. When that
has been done. he Is warmly In favor
OF the raising of funds by issuing
county bonds with the restrictions
which the Virginia Highway Law i'm
poses. viz: that all moneys so raised
shall be spent under the watchful sup
ervision OF State Highway Commits.
sioner. because otherwise the money
may be wasted.
Many farmers fear q bond as they do
the visit OF the chinch bug or the
Kansas grasshopper. but the benefits
they derive from that method OF rails
ing for road Improvement are far
reaching and immediate. while the in
dividual tax on each is 20 small that IL
10 scarcely noticeable. In reality, bor-
rowing money through the sale OF road
bonds is like buying house. farm,
or business on the installment plan.
The purchaser receives the object at
once and derives the benefits from IL
while paying for IL AS the benefits
derived from perfected highways cover
long periods Of time. fairness and eq-
uity demand that the rising generation
should bear portion OF the cost and
that the increased citizenship. always
attracted TO the locality by system
of good roads, should. also aid in pay
ing for the added benefits.
Besides that. there Is a financial wis
dom in floating county bonds for road
improvement. In many cases those
bonds sell at a premium. and everybody
interested gains benefit. In some
Southern States good road bond hav,
brought a-price 50 high that the prem
ium has wiped out two or three years
interest on the principal In Bradley
county. Tennessee, but few years age
the supervisors voted bond issue o.
80, 900. Those bonds bore interest a
the rate of five per cent. So enthus
iastic were the citizens for road i'm
proyement. and so much confidence
did they nave in the locality in which
they lived, that the premium wa
$50, 600 the cash sales placing in Tn
county treasury $il0, 900.
IL has been asceItained by the Ofiic
OF Public Roads, the Bureau Of tn
Federal Census. and the land and in
dustrial divisions Of twelve great rail
roads, that the building Of moder
highways Immediately enhances th
value of the property through whic
they run TO marked extent Thi
increase Is estimated by the most cor
4 servative at 50 an acre. and by th
more enthusiastic at 50. All concedt
however, that the increase is immed
late and inevitable. Place.the acreag
Of the rural portion of a county, ther'
: fore, at 2U0. 900 cares and the increase
valuation due to the construction :
better highways at but ~ 80 an acre
4 and il will be seen that the propert
: holders whose land is to be thus benz
fited.would gain not less than 5000. OO'
SO great an increase in the assesse
valuation of county would certainl
seem 70 constitute powerful argt
ment in favor Of liberal first expend
ture.