The Norfolk weekly news-journal. (Norfolk, Neb.) 1900-19??, 1910-10-28
ROAD NEGLECT
BY GOVERNMENT
Railway Man Shows Money Is
Wasted on Highways.
WILL SAVE FARMERS MILLIONS

Improved by National Appropriation.
One of the most interesting addresses
delivered before the National Good
Roads association at Niagara Falls
recently was that OF Il. Il. Yoakum.
chairman of the st. Louis and San
Francisco Railroad company. The key
note of his address was that the gov.
eminent wastes enough to. build all
highways and the saving to farmers
of millions of dollars. The salient
points of his speech were:
Your organization stands for duty
sadly neglected by the government.
Good roads mean more for the people
at large than any other public work
and add more to the comfort and up
building of the country. They are of
national Importance.
Government statistics tell us that /;
costs our farmers 10 cents more to
haul one ton one mile in this country
than it costs in European countries
The products Of the farms of the Unit
ed States last year amounted to ap-
proXimately 250OOO,00O tons. The gov
eminent shows the average haul of Il
ton was nine miles. This difference of
10 cents Il ton per mile represents an
additional cost of $1.35 ton for an
average haul of nine miles. Estimat-
ing that two-thirds of the agricultural
products of last year were hauled
away from the farms, there would
have been saving TO the American
farmers of $22J0OO.O00 If our roads
had been up to the standard of Euro
pean roads, not including their back
haul Of supplies from the stations to
the farms. They would also have
saved large sums in the cost of rCplaC-
ing and repairing harness, wagons
etc, and in the investment and care of
| extra draft stock.
1T took thrCe-quarterS of Il century
to build up the American railroads.
| During the same time little attention
| has been given to the building up of
American country roads. Yet the val
Ut of the two to the public goes hand
| in hand. Food and clothing must be
handled between the producers and
| til" consumers over both the country
road and the railroad 1t is important
| that the country roads approach the
| high standard Of the railroads.
1.-THE greatest value of good roads
will be to the farmers who have not
| as vet become interested. You have
| not yet found way to reach them to
| properly place your arguments and
| statistics before them. They need to
be shown that the poorest roads are
| the most expensive roads. They have
not been shown that their broken wag-
Ons, broken harness and blacksmith
! bills cost them more than the cost Of
| having good roads They have not
been shown that a four dollar day
team can do twice the work over good
| roads. which makes that team worth
| to them IS day. The way to get good
roads is to make all the people know
them and keep them constantly in
mind The transportation system
which carries our food and clothing
| from maker to user is part railroad
and part country road. One part is as
| necessary as the other Your organ-
cation in its support OF the betterment
of our public highways snould talk In
millions instead of thousands.
| I'VE have 100000 miles of public
roads. From the best information OBJ
tainabe there are about $4,000 miles.
or two miles out Of each 100, under Il
| l. .,I,
are not more than 10000 miles. or
eight miles out of each 100. under any
kind of improvement. In other words.
we have 1.925.OO0 miles Of public roads
which are in as poor condition now as
they were when they were laid out by
our early settlers and pioneers.
IF we build 100000 miles Of public
highways annually for ten years and
give to this country 100000 miles OF
good public roads at an average cost
of $1,000 mile. or $500. 600 annual
ly. we will be engaging in a national
development the advantages of which
in economies. commerce. comforts and
| enhanced land values none can fore.
tell. We will be accomplishing some
thing worth while. This work Of car
ried on by counties and townships as
at present vii! be very slow. 1t should
be encouraged under broad. compre-
henSive plan outlined by the federal
government, cooperating with the
states. The agricultural department
of the government is in sympathy with
all things that tend TO improve our
public road system.
Your association should have ag
gressive organizations in every state
and have working relations with all
commercial, manufacturing and agri-
cultural institutions. While | can
! speak but for one system of railroads.
feel confident that every railroad of
the country will be in sympathy and
work in harmony to aid in the develop
mcnt of the country's public highways,
with a view OF upbulding and increas-
ing the production OF existing cult.
waited fields and adding new acres that
are now lying idle for lack of rail
transportation or good public roads to
| encourage their cultiVatiOn"