The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1909-07-02
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-
sirable, 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. a farmer near Butler.
Mo, has written to the Kansas City
Star as follows On the subject Of good
roads:
l have been reading with interest the
various letters and editorials in the
Star on the subject of good roads, as
l read with interest anything on this
subject anywhere. Although a farm
er, I am also a "good roads man.
I 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 a good
one unless it is made of rock at a cost
Of $1,000 to 5000 a mile.
l will state as briefly as I can how
the subject looks to me, and l believe
I 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 (farmers) must either do the
work or pay for it. Individually l
have little interest in roads other than
those in my Immediate neighborhood
and those leading to my market. In
twenty-five years I have not driven so
far that I could not get back the same
day. If I ave to make a trip Of any
considerable distance l take a rain. l
I'M 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
$35O,0OO. To make rock roads at the
lowest estimated price per mile, $4,000,
would cost $500 O 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 S3 cents on
500. A rock road is never the best
road. If it was we would not avoid it,
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. l
know that the idea is to improve the
most important roads first and the
others later, but the one who ives a
mile from the improved road can take
no more han he can pull over the I'M
improved one.
I note the argument that l can take
larger loads, make better time, get
better prices, all Of which l admit, but
my present ncome would nave to be
increased very much to enable me to
stand this cost. l also note that good
roads will enable me to sell my farm
for a greater price. Suppose I don't
want to sell. We are not all specula-
tors. Would an acre produce more il
it's price was 500 han it would if it
was $50? Without doubt I 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 o 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 it
was to build a state road, in which
they had no interest.
Don't think we are "m~ossbacks."
We want good roads and appreciate
their value, but if we u 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
converges, a good dirt road properly
~,ai~t,;-oJ --o,,Jl 10 ~, loo&
possible eight months in the year, a
good one ten and passably the other
two. l 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, a mile of thirty
foot road can be dragged once for so
cents. An average of ten times will
be ample. But let's say fifteen, and
we have a cost Of $3.50. A grader
should be run over the road once a
cal to open bitches and maintain
proper shape. Two horse graders are
nov made that will do this work at
$3.50 a mile: blowing furrow in bitches.
so cents. To sum up, then, we have
this result:
COST PER MILE.
Construction $500 90
MAINTENANCE ONE YEAR
aggl 800
IfaoiHS Z.O
Eio"inS .o@ AO0O
A permanently good road. getting
better every year, as all dragged roads
do.
Looks good, doesn't it? Best Of all
is it's true. l have kept a mile Of
average Dad for the las six years In
such condition that an ordinary good
team could draw a ton over it any day
in that time. and the whole cost of
construction and maintenance for the
whole time is less than 800. Give us
road laws based on common sense O n
%struction that will provide for con-
slant maintenance and we can have
good roads. Missouri has a very good
one in the special road district act
that will apply If we a get rid Of
the idea that the only good road Il .
rock road.