Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1910-07-28

from this vast sum wastefully eXpend-
ed by the government. On the con-
trary, the farmers are paying as much
for broken harness, broken wagons,
with as much lost time, hauling one
half a load to team, as they were
before this 225 million dollars was eX-
pended. There has been no syste-
matte plan for the improvement of the
Mississippi river. Therefore this
great waste of money has been of no
benefit to the transportation of COM
merce or the development of agri-
culture. The same amount Of money
expended in good road making would
have yielded tremendous returns to
the people. 1t is the duty OF every
citizen of the United States to aid
the farmer in every way consistent
with business principles to market his
products to best advantage, and in this
connection no one factor is of more
economic Importance than the reduc-
tiCn of the cost of transportation be-
tween the farm and the railroad sta
ton.
1t took three-quarters of 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
value of the two to the public goes
hand in hand. Food and clothing must
be handled between the producers and
the consumers over both the country
road and the railroad. 1t is important
that the country roads approach the
high standard of the railroads.
If a railroad encounters high grade
over a hill, which means excessive
use of coal, slow trains and hgnt
loads, the railroad cuts down the
heavy grades to save coal bills, 10
move freight faster, to carry bigger
train loads. 1t borrows millions to do
the grade cutting, pays the interest on
this money, and through this economy
is enabled to increase its surplus. Ihe
J railroads borrow money to make
stronger culverts and bridges to bear
heavier engines and steel cars. lheh
thew must borrow more to buy the
large locomotives and big cars, all OF
which add to the efficiency of 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 surfaces,
to provide good drainage and to re-
duce the cost of maintenance. Wnen
this is dCne the farmer can go from
his farm to his market or shipping
station quicker and carry a bigger
load. The firm road-bed and smooth,
heavy steel make the railroads cars
and engines last longer, and the SUD-
stantial, well-made country roao
makes the farmers horses, wagons
and harness last longer. The saving
to the railroad is only a small traction
of a cent on each ton hauled one mile,
while the saving to the farmer IS ID
cents a ton mile. This dlfference
in cost of hauling will often turn a
losing farm into paying one.
The greatest value of good roads
will be to the farmers who have not
vet found a way to reach them to pro
lperlv 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
Icost them more than the cost of hav-
ling good roads. They have not been
shown that a 81 day team can do
twice the work over good roads, which
makes that team worth to them s.
la day.
The members of your association
know these plain and simple things
have stated. But the way to get gooC
roads is to make all the people know
them and keep them constantly il
mind. The transportation system
which carries our food and clothins
from maker to user is part railroad
and part country road. One part is as
necessary as the other. Your organi
zation is its support of the bettermen
of our public highways should talk il
|