Judith Gap journal. [volume] (Judith Gap, Mont.) 1908-19??, 1911-08-11
REASONING IN A CIRCLE
OR DO GOOD WAGON ROADS PAY?

"IOu are reasoning iii Il circle, nv
friend, when you ought to cut cross
lots"
Thus, did 81 Hawkins, Il plain, I'M
tutored, but hard-headed farmer,
puncture the labored philosophy of IL
high-brOwed exponent of domestic
economics. who had just climaxed an
address to Il 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 IA re-
ducti0n in rates.
IL am only a plain farmer" con-
tinued Hawkins, "but /, too havegiv-
Ell the high cost OF living some
thought; not, however, in IL rocking
chair III richly furnished study, but
in lumber wagon up to the hubs
in mud, and while walking between
the handles of Il plOw. That is the
college in which l matriculated and
learned what know of economies.
"BefOre this, l, too, had formed
some opinions from garnished sophis-
try which l found in books and
speeches by theorists and otlice-seek-
ing politicians, but it was hauling
half II load Of hogs to market the 9TH
er day over Il road knee-deep in mud
that made me realize there were 9TH
things than freight rates involved in
tile high cost OF living. l had a case
of eggs at my feet on one side and Il
tub OF butter OH the other, both bring
ing such good prices that mother
bless her dear heart, she looks better
in calico than other women in silk
cautioned me against reckless driv-
ing.
"A new idea came to me. 1t was
that by giving the consumer the benz
tit OF the waste that attaches to exist
ing methods and conditions, we could
by this alone greatly reduce the cost
of living.
''That set me to figuring. 1t took
me whole day with team and
wagon to haul 1900 lbs. of hogs the
ten miles had to go. At the rate of
$3.50 per day for team and driver, l
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 Heavens! that was over
sixty-One times more than the aver
age charge ton per mile by the rail
roads, as shown by the reports of the
Interstate Commerce Commission,
and yet everybody seeking to reduce
the high cost OF living was bitterly
inveighing against railroad rates and
blindly marching behind blind lead
ers to that end. When roads were
not muddy, hauled $500 lbs. to Il
load and yet that was % cents ton
per mile, or over tllirty-seveu times
more than the average charge by the
railroads. The reports of the Inter-
state Commerce Commission showed
that the average cost by railroad was
"a of one cent Il ton per mile.
"1n II pamphlet issued by the De-
partment OF Agriculture, read that
the farmers of several states, pal
ticularly the farmers of Pennsylvania
ia, by the construction of good roads
had doubled their wagon loads and
thereby decreased the cost of wagon
transportation so per cent. That
meant OH poor roads saving of 23
cents IA ton per mile, and on the dry
roads basis Il saving of IA cents II ton
per mile.
"When l realized that this enorm-
GUS waste applied to all the great
farm crops of this great country-for
every pound or ton of surplus farm
products must be moved by wagon
to the cars or elevators at the rail-
way statiOn-l was staggered, first ut
the enormous waste and. second, at
the stupidity of sO-called economic
philosophy. 1t cost me $3.50 to haul
1900 lbs, whereas with good roads
could haul 5000 lbs, ut the same cost,
showing very clearly to me that on
that wagon haul had clean waste
and loss Of IS per cent. The average
! amount l would have to pay the rail-