The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1909-12-31
D|RTROADS ADVOCATE
Farmer Shows They May Be Had
at Small Cost.
HUNDRED DOLLARS PER MILE

r. J. Jswett, Z farmer neal Butler.
No.. has written { o the Kansas City
Star - follows on the subject Of good
roads:
I have been reading with interest the
various letters and editorials in the
Star on the subject of good roads, as
I read with interest anything on this
subject anywhere. Although a farm
q, I Am also q good roads" man.
I am pleased to see the Interest
shown, and, while I don't want to
'knock." I am afraid the cause is be-
ing injured by its friends who write in
that they seem to think no road q good
one unless It II made Of rock at a cost
Of $1,000 to 5000 Z mile.
I win state as briefly as I can how
the subject looks to me, and I believe
I win voice the opinion of Is per cent
o9 the farmers In the corn belt.
Il - evident that IL roads are made
IN the country tho people who live
there (fArmers) must either do the
work or pay for 1t. Individually I
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. II I have to make a trip Of any
considerable distance I take a train. I
am not yet able to keep a motor car
for pleasure and am not willing to
make roads for those who are.
live In an average township in
-~~h~NA AR&aAnlYW& fho< hoo ci~fv r0f1n0
Of road. Our assessed valuation is
$4,000 To make rock roads at the
lowest estimated price per mile, $4,000,
would cost $4,000, 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 SO cents on
800. A. rock road is never the best
road. II It was we would not avoid it,
~ We always do, when the ground is
dry and speed rings would be made
that way. It is not permanent, and the
eest Of maintaining six miles would be
more than we now put on sixty. I
know that the idea is to improve the
most important roads first and the
others later, but the n who lives a
mile from the improved road car take
no more than he can pull over b un-
improved one.
note the argument that l can take
larger loads, make better time, get
better prices, all of which I admit, but
my present income would have to be
Increased very much to enable me to
stand this cost I also note that good
roads W1ll enable MT to sell my farm
for Z greater price. Suppose I don't
want to sell. We are not all specula-
tors. Would an acre produce more If
tt price was 500 than it would If it
was $5o1 Without doubt I would pay
twice as much tax. II I want to sell
It's different, though much like life In
suranco-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 it
was to build q 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
VIZ 4A0X0L LAo\ kAOy US VI q NAAu SAoN
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, q 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. I believe $500 a mile would
make good dirt roads in our township,
and with $500 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 no
required-in fact, make q modern rock
road without the rock.
As to maintenance, a mile of thirty
foot road be dragged once for 81
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 nee a
year to open bitches and maintain
proper shape. Two horse graders are
now made that viii do this work al
$3.50 a mile; blowing furrow in bitches
60 cents. To sum up, then, we have
hiS result:
COST PER NILE.
MAiNTENANcE ONE YEAR
$I-oo
Grazing zoo
k10W108 W. AV.0'
A permanently good road, getting
better every year. as all dragged roads
do.
Looks good. doesn't It? Best Of al
u its true. I have kept a mile Of
average road for the last six years II
such condition that an ordinary good