Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-10-22
| w |
sos

hcfosS the way from the new AgriCul-
tural department where the scientists are
making new plans for the farmer. stands
a building which has much to do with
the United States of the future. II is
not connected with the Department OF
Commerce and Labor. but It affects every
merchant aud every one who works with
his hands It affects the factories, tho
farms. and in short. every man. woman
and child IN the country. II Is the office
of public roads, where Uncle Sam II
planning how 20 better our highways. It
IS not an automobile institution. II IL
working for the plain people and Its
motto is good roads from the farm 20 the
market. Such roads will cut down the
prices Of all farm products They should
reduce the cost OK living and put money
into our pockets.
Uncle SANS ROadmnster.
Have you any idea how much we lose
from bad roads? The scientists estimate
that the cost is over 100000 a day, or.
in round numbers. about $500 10000
year ! have had a long talk with
Logan Waller Page, who has charge OF
this road work, and who perhaps knows
more about our roads than any other man
in the country. lie IS a civil engineer.
WHO graduated at l1aFNATu "A Nttd0e OF
30 ago, and who for a time acted as
geologist and director OF the testing
laboratory OF the Lawrence scientific
school there. He was on the Massachu-
sets highway commission. and then be-
came chief Of the division of tests in the
Department Of Agriculture, after which
he was made the director of the United
States office of public roads. The inn
proYement OF the roads practically began
with him, and the great work that lie now
going on Is under his management.
Our Highways vs.. Eurone'a.
According to Mr.. Page we have about
the worst roads of any civilized country
ON, earth. Europe Is gridironed with
magnificent highways, and in France,
Germany and England one can ride for
miles without striking stone or puddle.
Said Mr. Page:
1.-THE cost OF hauling over our country
roads Is now about 2 cents per ton to
the mile. In the European countries as
long as eighteen years ago the cost had
been reduced TO 10 cents. and It is much
lower today. on some of the roads go
ing into London, by the motor cars now
in use. It is less than cents. and by
wagon freight can be hauled almost any
where ON the continent for from one
half to one-third Its cost in the United
States"
A Saving of Millions.
scan YOU give mo some idea OF the
saving that good roads would bring3"
Not accurately" replied Mr.. Page,
but l can show you Some figures which
will convince you that II will run into
the hundreds of millions Of dollars Ac-
cording TO the report OF tho Interstate
Commerce commission in 1905, our rail-
roads handled moro than SOO.000.0OO tons
Of freight which originated on their re-
spective lines. All this had TO be taken
20 and from the cars. A great deal of Il
Nss made up OF the products OF the farm
and the forests. and It is estimated that
a least 20O.OOoo0o tons OF It had a haul
Of nine miles at a cost OF 20 cents a
Ten. That bill alone would represent
moro than 32.OoO.o0O ana other frelghts
and hauling would run the sum to $780,
10000 or over Now suppose we cut the
wagon freight bill in half, or to li1a
cents y ton. which is still far above the
cost OF hauling In Europe, and the saw
ing would be s250OOO.OOO.
Indeed. it Is impossible 20 overesti-
mate our loss by bad roads," continued
MI Page THE Fruit Growers Assoc
citation OF oregon lost In one year by
damaged fruit from the Willamette val
ley. owing to bad roads. $4,000. The
cost to tho fruit crop Is enormous, and
ST. is so with every crop of the farmer.
Take the wear and tear on the horses.
We have more than 25.OO0,OOO draft ami
mails. which are worth more than S2,000.-
o00O00 Better the roads and the work could
be done with half the number, making
q saving OF $1,000. 10000 in capital. We
have 10000 farm wagons manufactured
each year. The wear and tear upon them
runs high into the millions.
Quick Transit and High. Prices.
f'And then look at tho money which
the farmer makes by getting his crops
% the market on time. Wheat and cot
ton have rapid changes OF prices. In
1907 the range Of wheat at Minneapolis
was from 70 cents 10 S.lS per bushel
and there was a difference in tho selling
prices Of corn at Chicago OF "a cents pei
tpshel. IL the man got his grain TO this
market while the prices were high h'
did WELL but II the bad roads kept nm
back he had to take low figure.
This loss from bad roads prevails al
ever the country. but especially in the
south. i have just returned from LONG
tsp through that region and have made
a. study OF some of the conditions. Let
aus show you what good roads would dc
fer corn and cotton. which. together with
tobacco. are the staple crops OF thu
sbuth. The southern roads are wors,
tban those OF other parts OF the coun'
Try, and the average cost OF hauling is
therefore. far more The average cos
"a taking corn 10 the station the UniteC
States over Is about cents per hundred
while in eleven OF the southern state,
Il is more than 10 cents per hundred
Those eleven states produced last yea
G5.00oOo0 bushels OF corn. and II u ha,
been hauled 20 the market the tota
fAeight cost would have been over 81,
10000 Now. suppose that four-fifths o
this corn were consumed on the farms
aad that only lIO0O00OO bushels wer,
luusied. In that case line cost OF hauling
would have been more than sl4Oo0.OOC
and II Il could have been hauled a
cheaply as In other states OF the uniol
oue-half OF that amount. or more thar
$g.oooOo0. would have been the saving OF
the corn haul alone.