Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1909-01-22
Instructive Talk Oh This I'm.
portant Subject Made by
Chief Of This Government
Department Before the
Legislature

roads of the interior department, Wash
ington, at the joint session of the leg;s-
lature, Wednesday afternoon. 1t is
full of those valuable suggestions which
come of long study of the subject and
practical achievements by the govern
ment in all kinds of road building. A
perusal of the address ought to be of
great benefit to every farmer of the
state. Mr.. Cooley said:
Mr.. President: When was inform
ed yesterday that you had extended me
an invitation to address you on the
good roads subject, l found it neces-
! sary to obtain certain information in
regard to what other states are doing
! and lest the same shall be forgotten
in the delivery, and in case I should
inadvertently convey wrong impress
sions, I take the liberty to submit my
remarks in writing so that if sufficient
value be discovered therein, they may
be referred to by you liz your delibera-
tons.
Any consideration of the good roads
proposition must have for its funda-
mental idea, the economy, rapidity and
regularity of transportation. If it costs
certain sum of money to carry ton
of produce from the farm to the mar
ket, that cost must be added to its
selling price at the point of produc-
ton to determine its selling price, and
that freight charge, the amount Of
which is measured generally by the dis
lance and condition of the roads over
which the produce is drawn, is paid
by the consumer If the condition of
the roads is such that there is undue
wear and tear on the appliances for
transportation, that charge is paid by
the producer, and in neither case is
there corresponding benefit. 3s&
The amount of loss may appear trif-
ling in any one case; hardly worth con-
sidering, but in a great state like this,
with its thousands of golden fields
friited deep with the richest treasures
of bountiful nature, its tens of thou
sands of miles of primary highways
over which those treasures must be
carried, it becomes as we'll to watch
over the interests of those on whom
we rely to furnish us our daily bread,
as we'll as those who are ready to ex-
change the gold of commerce for the
richer product Of mother earth.
So any, legislation which does not
protect the interests of the producer, as
well as the consumer, cannot be wise
nor just 1t has been clearly demon
strated as the result of many different
investigations that the average cost OF
transportation over the primary system
of roads throughout the country is about
twenty-five cents per ton mile. In many
portions the cost will run from that
amount up to nearly double, while the
cost of the same on improved roads
has been reduced to on-third or one-haH
of the average. III
On improved roads in Minnesota, the
actual cost of hauling as determined
from a. series of several weeks ex-
periments on one particular road, was
reduced over one-quarter of the aver
age, and such Investigations as these
coupled with statistics of acreage and
harvest yields, has p, 9mpted good roads
authorities to declare that in every year
the nation pays out as tax, or rather
a penalty on bad roads, the enormous
sum of FIVE hundred million of dollars,
I leave it to those better versed in the
resources of your state to estimate by
simple comparison, based either on
road mileage or. produce tonnage the
enormous waste of the commonwealth.
There are many ways of improving
highway system which it is the duty
of the engineer, the scientist and the.
practical man to consider, and investi-
gate, SO there are many classes of
roads, each adapted to some of the
many different condition. of soil and
climate, and in order to produce the
best results at the least cost to the
people, the subject should be given the
undivided attention of some individual
or board, who may not only investigate
conditions and methods in their own
territory, but in other states and coun-5
ties which have had longer experiences
through whose successes and mistakes,
may be built up plan of procedure
conducive to the best interests Of the.
people. ..&1. h., !. 4.I.... ss@# I@ 2..2%
With European countries having good
systems Of highways national admins
tration is most popular. In the eastern
states, most of which have adopted sys-s
TENS Of administrations Of highways,
based largely upon the experience of the