Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1912-03-16
FRISCO GOOD ROADS
PROPAGANDA
COMMENCES AT BROWNSVILLE
MARCH TWENTY-FTFTH.
Government Experts Will Lecture,
Using Stereoptician Views, and
Working Models Showing Con-
struction of Roads.


the Frisco Lines for the education
of the farmer in the building of good
roads is scheduled to start from
Brownsville March 20 and &c. Lee
lures and stereoptican views Will be
given, and the government experts
in charge will answer all questions
and untangle all highway puzzles
for the farmers who attend the lee
turse. The train will consist of four
cars. One of the coaches will be
fitted out with working models
showing the making Of roads. All
necessary machinery will be exhib-
tied in operation, and the construc-
ton. from the oil soaked mud and
sand roads. to the bituminous
macadam, which although costly.
is acknowledged to be one of the
most substantial roads, will be
shown.
The need Of good roads is de-
monstrated every day to the farmer
who drives through sand or mud to
the railroad station.
In an address delivered by B. F
Yoakum, chairman Of the executive
committee Of the Frisco Lines, be-
fore the National Gond Roads AS
sociation at Niagara Falls, ne said
"The United States government
statistics tell us that il costs our
farmer 23 cents, or . cents more to
haul ton a mile in this country
than in Europe. The products or
the farms Of the United States last
year amounted to more than $50
million tons. The government shows
that the average haul was nine miles
making this difference of 10 cents
per ton an additional cost to the
American farmer Of $l35 a ton for
the avearge haul of a ton nine
miles
If this additional cost was saved
10 the American farmer his annual
earnings would be increased by over
a quarter of a billion dollars-lhi
Of it,
Chairman Yoakum points out that
this saving would build and keep in
repair good roads for the farmer bet
sides building up the immense ex-
panse of territory that is fine farm
ing land but is now inaccessible to the
railroads on account of the bad con-
dition Of the roads This land would
be increased in value many times,
thus adding millions of dollars to
the pockets of the land owners.
Mr. Yoakum has always taken a
great interest in the Good Roads
movement In a speech before the
Farmers Union at the Oklahoma
State Fair, he said:
Farmers do not get the use Of
their share of the money earned in
the United States. There are now
about ninety-two million people in
the United States and about twenty
eight million are farmers. The pro-
ducts Of the farm are responsible for
about one-Chird of the wealth and
commerce of the country No one
can say that one third of this is
used by you in the betterment of
the country districts.
"Compare country roads full Of
mud holes with improved town
streets. Look at the country wooden
bridges and then at the steel and
stone viaducts and bridges in the
towns. The farmer has borrowed
but little money to make his roads
good, while the town people have
borrowed immense sums to make
Jheir streets perfect.
"a farmer living on a good road
fifteen miles from a railroad is bet
ter off than a farmer living FIVE
miles from a railroad on a bad road.
The bad roads keep the farmer in
doors. They wear out harness and
horses and cause land values to de-
preciate. Good roads cause travel
and social intercourse that broaden
the minds of the farmers
II is expected that much material
good will be accomplished by the
four months tour which the Good
Roads Department of the United
States bureau Of agriculture will
take through the Southwest.
Under the present schedule the
tour begins the latter part of March
at Brownsville, Texas, on the St.
Louis & Brownsville railroad and
will gradually progress north
through Texas, Louisiana. Okla
homa, Kansas and Missouri.
The st. Louis and San Francisco
railroad company will supply a train
which will be especially equipped
for the purpose of the tour.