The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1910-09-09
BY Maurice O. Eldridge

cost, the, funds for such improve.
ments will not be forthcoming. We
often hear one say that he is for
good roads, but when you discuss
the matter with him you find that he
is not for good roads at all If he
were really in favor Of good roads
he would listen to reason and agree
that some of the progressive meas
ures which have proved SO success
full in other states and communities
should at least be trie.l in his own
community. This kind of person
often insist that unless his pet
scheme or hobby is adopted that he
will vote against any proposition
which may be presented AS mat
ter of fact, this class of citizen is
not really in favor Of better roads,
and he must be convinced that good
roads pay and that the ways and
means of raising the money with
which to build them, as we'll as the
methods of constructing them, are
matters of progression based largely
upon the failures and successes Of
others.
If one will figure the cost of NOV
ing load of farm produce from his
farm to market or the nearest ship
ping post, over bad road, and
compare that with the cost of NOV
ing 1t over well graded, macada-
mixed road, or good gravel road,
and then estimate the total saving to
himself and his neighbors resulting
from such improvements he will be
convinced that good roads pay. For
instance: Assuming A to be the farm
where shipmnt of wheat origin
ton or shipping point. Assuming
the distance from A to B is ten
miles; that twenty bushels of wheat
makes a good load for two-horse
team, and that it takes one day to
make the trip; estimating the cost
of man and team at $500 per day,
then the cost per bushel would be
Is cents. and the cost. per ton per
mile would be so cents. The long
haul freight rate in the United States
is about three-fourths of a cent per
ton per mile. 1t, therefore, costs
the farmer as much to haul his 20
bushels of wheat 10 miles to the
railroad over the bad road as it does
to haul it 400 miles by rail; and for
the same outlay he could haul 1t 600
to 500 miles by water
Now, let us assume that this road
is graded and macamadized, so that
SO bushels of wheat may be hauled
with the same wagon and team, and
that the trip can be made in two
thirds of day instead of whole
day, at total cost for the trip of
$500. 1t will, therefore, be seen that
the cost of hauling has been cut
down from Is cents per bushel to 4 |
cents per bushel, and the cost per
ton per mile from so cents to 1871
cents. By using these figures as
basis, for they are real and not i'm
agintry, one may estimate the ire
mendous loss caused by bad roads
so far as the cost of hauling is con-
cerned.
1t has been estimated by various
investigators that the annual loss
sustained by bad roads is at least
one dollar per acre for tillable land.
II this loss could be capitalized at
5 per cent per annum it would give
$40 per acre, which would represent
the total increased value to be ex-
pected from improved roads. This
estimate has been confirmed with re-
markable exactness in all parts of
the country. If the building of a
good road will enhance the value of
the land $40 per acre, then $12,80O
will be added to the value of every
square mile of good land adjacent
10 that road, which amount would be
sufficient in most cases to bulnd a
good road entirely around each sec {
lion of land. This indicates the vast
ness Of the financial advantage to {
'ollow road improvements.
To prove that this is no mere {
heory attention is called to the fact !
hat a 400 acre farm on the old mud s
Dad between Bristol and Blounts- {
lille, Tenn, was three years ago
'ffered for sale at $4,000, but pur-
haser could not be found. The road 9
las since been macadamized and I
ast fall this farm sold, for $25, 900;
n advance of $25 per acre, or go
er cent; and this enhancement was
aused entirely by the Improvement t
I the road. &
Assuming that this farm was as
essed at its full value three years t