The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1910-07-29


both the country road and the rail-
road. 1t is important that the coun-
try roads approach the high standard
of the railroads.
Cost Of Economy
III railroad encounters a high
grade over a hill which means exces-
sive use of coal. slow trains and light
loads the railroad cuts down the
heavy grades to save coal bills, to
move freight faster, to carry bigger
train loads. It borrows millions to
do the grade cutting. pays the inter-
est on this money and through this
economy is enabled to increase its
surplus. The railroads borrow money
to make stronger culverts and bridges
to hear heavier engines and steel
cars. Then they must borrow more
to buy the large locomotives and big
cars, all of which add to the efficiency
iof these steel highways.
The country road makers have not
kept up with the railroad makers
They, too. must get money to cut
down grades. to get smooth. hard sur
faces. to provide good drainage and
to reduce the cost of maintenance.
When this is done the farmer can go
from his farm to his market or ship
ping station quicker and carry a big
ger load. The firm road bed and
smooth. heavy steel make the rail-
roads cars and engines last longer,
and the substantial, we'll made coun-
try road makes the farmers horses,
wagons and harness last longer. The
saving to the railroad is only frac-
tlon of cent on each ton hauled
one mile. while the saving to the
farmer is fifteen cents n ton a mile.
This difference in cost Of hauling will
often turn a losing farm into a pay-
ing one.
The Men Not Interested
The greatest value of good roads
will be to the farmers who have not
as yet become interested You have
not vet found a 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
wagons, broken harness and black
smith bills cost them more than the
cost of having good roads. They have
not been shown that $500 a day
team can do twice the work over
good roads. which makes that team
worth to them $500 day.
THE members Of your association
know these plain and simple things
! ] have stated. But 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 or
ganization in its support Of the bet
terment Of our public highways should
talk in millions instead of thousands.
| The advocates of better roads are he
hind the times and will have to spend
money by the millions to catch up and
the people who are to enjoy and bene-
| fit by these improvements should he
educated to understand what good
roads mean to them and what they
will cost.
| Farmer Benefited
"The agricultural people Of the
country are beginning to realize their
own situation. They are commencing
seriously to study economic questions.
They are beginning to figure their
time AS worth money When your as
sociation places the facts before the
owners Of the six million farms, who
represent. according to government
estimates. including their families,
nearly one third Of our population,
and gets them to realize what good
roads mean to them. We will then have
good roads. They will vote for men
as public servants who will encour-
age and vote to help along the work
Of getting good roads. The duty Of
the National Good Roads association
lis Of greater importance today to the
future growth of the country than it
has ever been before.
1t is to good roads that this coun-
TRY must look largely for its future
growth and development.
An Instance
"The railroad business of the conn
try has been attacked from so many
different standpoints that we are not
going to have for many years such an
era Of railroad construction as we
have enjoyed heretofore. The imo
provement which can come nearest
taking the place of railroads in the
development of the country lying back
from existing railroads is good pub
lie highways. Illustrations Of this
YOU can now see in many sections of
the country and will see many more
evidences of as different communities
begin to realize how hard it is for
railroad builders to find new mon
ey to build new railroads into new
countries.
"One instance have in mind which
illustrates the situation: In the coun-
ty in which San Antonio, Texas is To-
Gated there have not been any new
railroads constructed for several
years. The splendid old German town
|of Fredericksburg has had a purse Of
100000 hung up for a long time to
give to the first railroad that would
build into its thriving and rich coun-
try, but no takers, although several
have tried 1t and found it impossible
to finance even a short road between
San Antonio and Fredercksburg.
The people of that town are now turn
ino thoir attention f0 tho nor< ha,S