St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1910-07-23
similar to that existing in Farnce
would tendto reduce the cost of liv-

ing.
Every commodity pays a "whee
tax since nothing nowadays is pre-
duced where it is consumed, and
direct result of the crowding of th
population into the industrial dis
tricts is an increase in the reta,
| price Of food due to increased haul
age. The important fact is that tn
necessary increase of cost from thi
cause Is many times greater than
need be, owing to our backward sys
tenn of rural communication.
1t has been calculated that the av
erage length OF road haul of agri
cultural produce under present con
ditions of rural transport is ten mile
at cost of twenty-five cents per tol
mile. The aggregate amount han
II died Is at least 100000 tons an
nually. In fact this figure is far be
low the low the actual total, for i
only takes account of produce actu
ally delivered to railroads for ship
ment, and makes no allowance fol
produce shipped by water, Or fol
coal, lumber, supplies, machinery
etc. hauled from the depots to the
farms. This gives us as the direct
wheel tax paid by the ultimate
consumer, the gigantic annual sum
of half billion dollars. Many years
Of experience in France, Germany
proved roads in fair condition the
ton mile cost should not exceed ten
cents. This would give the cost OF
hauling 20O,00O,000 tons an average
distance of ten miles as 100000
600. In other words, there is q di.
rect addition to the cost of living OF
the nation as a whole of 100000
900 per annum, which Is quite un-
necessary, and due simply to our in
ferior road systems. If we take the
total road mileage of the United
States as 100000 it follows that
every mile of unimproved road
means net loss to the country OF
at least $3.50 per annum. And this
charge is actually met in the shape
OF increased food prices, principally
by the class who can least afford to
bear it the wage earners.
While the substitution of good for
bad roads would directly reduce the
cost of living by reducing the haul,
age cost on food products, the indi-
rect effect in the same direction
would be even more important 1t
has ben proved by actual figures that
in every case where the roads have
been improved, the rural population
has increased. To quote Senator j. H
Bankhead of Alabama: "The trend
Of population from country to city is
most apparent in those sections OF
the country which are isolated by
reason of bad roads. An example OF
illustrating this point has been cited
by the United States Office of Public
Roads, in which it Is shown that in
25 counties showing an increase OF
population from 1890 to 1900, aver
aging 10000 to the county, 40 per
cent of the roads were improved and
maintained in first class condition
while in Is counties in the same
states showing loss of population
in the same period, Of 10000 to the
county, only little over ! per cent
Of the roads were adequately i'm.
proved" Congressional Record
March 25, 1900 Thus the comes
tion of the cities, which is at the very
root OF the question of the increased
cost OF living, would be directly re-
lieved by the construction of ade-
Quate roads.
Another result of road improve.
ment is the accompanying increase
in the vaule of the adjacent farm
lands. This is, of course, direct
gain to the farmer, but it is not a
sefish gain, for the enhanced vaule
of the land is due to the fact that ii
can render better service in food pro-
duction. Land does not remain I'M
cultivated because it cannot be made
to grow anything, but because it does
not pay to cultivate it. Make such
land accessible, and it at once be,
comes valuable as a source of pro.
duction.
To quote Senator Bankhead again
1T is rarely the case that the aver,
age increase is less than 20 per cent
of the total value, while numerous
examples can be cited of increases
exceeding 100 per cent. The last
federal census, taken in 1900, shows
that there has been an increase ir
the farm values Of the United State.
amounting to 27 per cent, and thai
only four states of the Union show
depreciation of farm values. Mas
sachusetts shows the largest percent
age of increase in these values, anG
this increase has developed since the
policy of state aid for road improve
ment was adopted. Prior to thai
time the farm values in that state
were depreciating."
One more consideration: Mr.. Hill
in speech printed in the New York
cost Of living to the fact that We are
living too exeravagantly. He hold:
that we are wasting our dollars il
unproductive expenditure instead o.
using them as capital. And he citei
France as shining example of the
beneficial results of natural thrift
THE wealth of the French people.
he says, increases by about bill
lion dollars every year. This incre
ment may be drawn upon by enter
prise anywhere. 1t is not gathered
in huge fortunes, but distributed
among millions of holders in small
sums France has the most supert
road system in the world, and Mr.
Francis B. Loomis, when commercial
agent at ST. Etienne. France, re
ported that: ''It is the opinion o.
well-informed Frenchmen who have
made a practical study of economic
problems that the superb roads Of
France have been one of the mos
steady and potent contributions tt
the material development and mar
vellous financial elasticity of The
country
So much for the roads themselves
Let us now consider the best methot
of utilizing them so as to promote
that access of producer to consumer
on which the solution of the problem
of the high cost of living depends