The Winchester news. [volume] (Winchester, Ky.) 1908-19??, 1909-02-16
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.

sirabIe, Says p. J. Jewett, Where
Cost Of Rock Roads Is Too Heavy.
P. j. Jewett, farmer near Butler
Mo-, has written to the Kansas City
Star as follows on the subject of good
roads:
1 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.
/ l am pleased to see the interest
shown, and. while 1 don't want to
knock" 1 am afraid the cause is be-
ing injured by it's friends who write In
that they seem to think no road a good
one unless it is made of rock at q cost
of $4,000 to $1,000 a mile.
l will state as briefly as can how
the subject looks to me, and 1 believe
1 will voice the opinion Of rs per cent
of the farmers in the corn belt.
1t is evident that if4roatls are made
In the country the people who live
there (farmers) must either do the
work or pay for 1t. Individually
have little interest in roads other than
those In nay immediate neighborhood
and those leading to my market. In
twenty-five years have not driven so
far that 1 could not get back the same
day. If have TO make trip Of any
considerable distance take train
am not yet able to keep q motor car
for pleasure and am not willing to
make roads for those who are.
1 live In an average township In
western Missouri that has sixty miles
Of road. Our assessed valuation IS
$350,00O. To make rock roads at the
lowest estimated price per mile, $780,
would cost $1S0,00O, or more than half
the value Of all the property In the
township. To make one mile at So 900
would require a tax Of So cents on
500. A rock road is never the best
road. If it was we would not avoid il.
as 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.
l 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 a greater price. Suppose l don't
want to SELL We are not all specula-
tors. Would an acre produce more If
its price was 500 than it would If it
was $50? Without doubt ] would pay
twice as much tax. If l 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
vote down anything along this line?
In Missouri the farmers killed the ten
cent state road tax, that was really In
their favor, because they thought 1t
was to build a state road, in which
they had no interest.
Don't think we are "mossbacks"
We want good roads and appreciate
their value. but If we must make them
we insist that they be Of a kind that
we can afford and that will suit our
needs.
Why not try good dirt roads? With
the exception Of a few miles, say 10
per cent, near the towns, where travel
converges, a good dirt road properly
maintained would be the very best
possible eight months in the year, a
good one ten and passably the other
two. believe 500 a mile would
make good dirt roads in our township,
and with 5000 more we could grade
down the hills, grade up the low
places, tile out the wet ones, properly
grade and ditch them and put In con-
crete culverts where bridges were not
required-in fact, make a modern rock
road without the rock.
AS to maintenance, mile of thirty
foot road can be dragged once for 80
cents. An average of ten times viii
be ample. But let's say fifteen, and
we have cost of $3.50. A grader
should be run over the road once q
year to open bitches and maintain
proper shape. Two horse graders are
now made that viii do this work at
$3.50 mile; blowing furrow in bitches,
80 cents. To sum up. then, we have
this result:
COST PER MILE.
MAINTENANCE ONE YEAR.
OfdBbAA8 ..-.s..-s...-......-...-. kl[0
GraolhR ......sss..........,.,.... z6S
PloWin4 ~ to5a
A permanently good road. getting
better every year, as all dragged roads
do.