The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1911-08-08
BAD ROADS FAC
TOR in HIGH COST

:" You are reasoning in a circle, my
friend, wnen you ought to cut cross
lots. -
Thus did 81 Hawkins, plain, un-
tutored, but hard headed farmer,
puncture the labored philosophy of a
high browed exponent Of domestic eco
nomics, who had just climaxed an ad-
dress to a gathering Of farmers with
the statement "that the cause of high
prices and the high cost of living is
freight rates, and the cure is re-
ductiOn in rates.
81 am only a plain farmer" con-
tinued Hawkins, "but l too, have
given the high cost of living some
thought; not, however, in a rocking
chair in richly furnished study, but
in lumber wagon up to the hubs in
mud, and while walking between the
handles of pillow. That is the college
in which / matriculated and learned
what l know of economics.
"Before this, l, too, had formed
some opinion from garnished sophistry
which / found in books and speeches
by theorists and office-seeking polite
ans, but it was hauling half load of
hogs to market the other day over a
road knee deep in mud that made me
realize there were other things than
freight rates involved in the high cost
of living. l had case of eggs at my
feet on one side and tub of butter
on the other, both bringing such good
prices that mother-bless her dear
herrt, she looks better in calico than
other women in silks-cautioned me
against reckless driving.
GA new idea came to me. It was
that by giving the consumer the bene-
fit of the waste that attaches to ex-
isting methods and conditions, we
could by this alone greatly reduce the
cost of living.
"That set me to figuring. It took
me. whole day with team and wag
on to haul 1900 pounds of hogs the
ten miles had to go. At the rate OF
$3.50 per day for team and driver,
easily ascertained that the wagon haul
without allowing anything for repairs
or keeping of myself and team, was
costing 46 cents a ton per mile. Great
times more than the average charge a
ton per mile by the railroads, as
shown by the reports of the interstate
commerce commission, and yet every
body seeking to reduce the high cost
of living was bitterly inveighed
against railroad rates and blindly
marching behind leaders to that end
When roads were not muddy, haul
ed $500 pounds to load and yet that
was % cents ton per mile, or ovel
thirty-seven times more than the av
erage charge by the railroads. Th'
reports of the interstate commerct
commission showed that the average
cost by railroad was three-fourths Of
one cent ton per mile.
"In a pamphlet issued by the de
partment of agriculture, / read tha
the farmers of several states, particu
larlv the farmers of Pennsylvania, by
the construction of good roads hat
doubled their wagon loads and thereby
decreased the cost of wagon transpor
tation so per cent. That meant OF
poor roads saving of 23 cents tor
per mile, and on the dry roads bash
a saving of IA cents tonn per mile
"When 7 realized that this enor
nous waste applied to all the great
farm crous of this great country-fo
every pound or ton of surplus farm
products must be moved by wagon tt
1 the cars or elevators at the railwa.
station-I was staggered, first at th'
enormous waste and, second, at the stu
piditv of so-called economic philoso
4 phv. 1t cost me $3.50 to haul 150'
pounds, whereas with good roads
could haul 5000 pounds at the sam'
cost. showing very clearly to me tina
on that wagon road haul had vast
and loss of rs per cent. The averag'
amount I would have to pay the rail
road for hauling the same load thu
same distance is less than cents. II
other words, for what it cost me $3.50
thhe railroad do it for less than cent
and the average amount the railroad
charges me is actually less than 3 pc
cent of the amount that is wasted II
the wagon haul"