The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1910-08-19
s225,000,0OO 4 YEAR
FOR POOR ROADS
3. r. YoAkUM GIVES GOOD ROADS
CONGRESS SOME BIG
FIGURES.
Government Wastes Enough Annually
to Build 100000 Miles Of Excellent
Highways-Farmers Need to BE
Reached and Shown Benefits to BE
Derived by improved Roads.

49, -
Derived by Improved Roads.
That improved highways would have
meant an added profit of 1925, OOO, 900
to the farmers of the United States on
last years crops alone and that on
the estimate of lone of the ablest
United States senator's the federal
government is wasting enough money
to build 100000 miles of improved pub
lie highways each year, were points
made by B. F. Yoakum, chairman of
the st. Louis & San Francisco Rail-
road Company, in an address here
Thursday before the opening session
of the third annual convention of the
national good roads congress at Mia
CARA Falls.
Mr.. Yoakum's address followed the
Introductory remarks Of Representa-
tive Sulzer of New York, who presid-
ed.
Mr.. Yoakum's very practical analy-
sis of the good roads problem, rein
forced as it was at every point by re-
liable statistics, was full of interest
from it's beginning until he ended by
showing that upon the statement of a
high official of the government the
country, under businesslike manage
ment, might have improved highways
without a cent being added to public
expenditures.
Your organization" he said, Stands
for duty sadly neglected by the gov
eminent. Good roads mean more for
the people at large than any other pub.
lie work, and add more to the comfort
and upbuilding of the country. They
are of national importance.
Government statistics tell us that
it costs our farmers Is cents more to
haul one ton one mile in this country
than it costs in European countries.
The products of the farms of the Uni
ted States last year amounted to APP
proximately 250,0O0,000 tons. The gov
eminent shows the average haul Of a
ton was nine miles. The difference
of Is cents ton mile represents an
additional cost Of $1.35 a ton for an
average haul of nine miles. Est lat
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 1925, O0O, 900 il 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 replacing
and repairing harness, wagons, ETC..
and in the investment and care of ex-
ira draft stock.
1.-THE greater value of good roads
will be to the farmers who have not as
yet become interested. You have not
yet found way to reach them prop
erly to place your arguments and sta
tistics 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 blacksmith bills
cost them more than the cost of hav-
ing good roads. They have not been
shown that a 81 a day team can do
twice the work over good roads, which
makes that team worth to them So a
day.
I'VE have 100000 miles of public
roads. From the best information OBJ
tainable there are about $4,000 miles,
or two miles out Of each 100, Under
high standard of improvement. There
are not more than $4,000 miles, or
eight miles out of each 100 under any
kind of improvement. In other words.
we have 1880 miles of public roads
which are in as poor condition now as
they were when they we're laid out by
our early settlers and pioneers.
"Good roads would add SO greatly to
the comfort and happiness OF their.
users that every possible agency
should be employed in making better
roads. Unfortunately this Is not the
way it is working out. The only proof
necessary is that 5000 times as much
money is appropriated by congress for
military expenses as for good roads.
II it could be shown to our national
law makers that military roads are
needed for armies and military con-
venience appropriations for millions
would be had without delay.
/ General Cocktails, at the head Of
Panama canal construction, says that
this vast enterprise is of first import
ance as military expedient. To make
this naval highway in foreign coun-
| try for 1ghting vessels our govern
ment is spending more money than
has ever been expended for any one
similar project in the history Of the
world. The value Of good roads has