The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1912-10-02
EXPECTS PROGRESS
IN ROAD BUILDING
Evidences of Growth of Sentiment I'm
Favor of Building and Maintaining
Better Highways.

Better Highways.
Washington, Sept. 29.-Though
there are doubtless a few mossbacks
to be found in every community who
stubbornly and persistently oppose
any movement looking even to their
own welfare, most especially, it ap-
pears, when the subject of good roads
is undertaken. sufficient progress has
been made by the federal and State
governments during the past few
years, in spite of this non progressive
element, to warrant the belief that
much greater and faster progress will
be made hereafter.
This is the substance of a state
ment made today at the office of
Logan Wallare Page, director of the
division Of good roads in the depart
ment OF agriculture, when officials
there were asked to tell something OF
the work of that department during
the past year.
"The question of the economic ad-
vantages of good roads, such as de-
crease in cost Of hauling, and like
questions are too academic in their
nature to require serious attention" >"
1t was said, "at this time any man
with ordinary intelligence knows these
facts and their value"
In the cotton states of the south
the average haul of cotton from the
farm to the shipping point is lis
miles. The average load is about
LOO pounds-a little more than
three 'bales-Gnd the average cost is
so cents per bale. The cost of mar
keting the 1911 crop of 16,25O,276
bales was $13,000,22O, if computed on
the above basis. To each bale of cot
ton there is about one-half ton of cot
ton seed, which is hauled from farm
to gin, and then a large percentage OF
1t hauled again to the shipping point.
The average cost of hauling the seed
in the United States is SO a ton. The
1911 crop of seed was, therefore, $37,-
375,634. Any system of road improve
ment throughout this zone which will
reduce the annual hauling charge 5
per cent, will effect a saving Of prac-
these figures it appears that it would
be good business to incur an expense
for road Improvement, even if such
and maintenance charge of $1,000
600 to the cotton states alone"
Asked to tell something of what the
automobile has done in recent years
in the matter of road construction
and general highway development,
the following statement was made:
"The roads of this country are being
used each year to a larger extent by
automobiles. In addition to the at
fractions of the short tour and the
country summer residence for the
automobilists in this country, there
exists large number of more remote
attractions comparable to those of Eu-
rope. Each year it is estimated that
no less than 100000 tourists visit
Switzerland and large number of
these are American citizens. The lit
tie country of Switzerland depends
upon the expenditures of tourists for
a large amount of it's revenue. 1t is
found profitable to build and maintain
roads of the highest type to hold this
business in Switzerland There are
in this country types of scenery and
points of interest which compare most
favorably with those of Europe, and
of late years improved roads have
been constructed in not few of these
places.
"It is probable that during the
present year the record will show
that American automobilists make
trips across the continent have spent
not less than $1,000,000. Figures from
the Denver chamber of commerce
shows that 5000 automobilists visiting
Colorado spent more than $2,7O0 900
in that State alone.
Figures on file at the Dostoffice
department show that the total mile
age of rural routes in operation on
April 1, 1912. was 1,01S,9O9 and that
the daily travel by the carriers was
1,010.396 miles which is nearly one
half Of the total road mileage in this
country today. There are 42100 de-
livery routes with an average length
OF "a miles each. The cost per mile
Travelled nv tho corripr nnuld ba praat