The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1912-01-16

compliments the speaker on making
an interesting talk, considers the price
Of such roads beyond his ranch and
promptly forgets the whole matter. To
get him interested it is necessary to
get him to thinking over his own road
conditions, and to do that, it is neces-
sary to point out to him some facts.
Perhaps the first step in rural dis
tricts would be to place the present
labor system of making the road by
a cash payment-not that the labor
system is wrong, but that it has serv-
ed its time and should be replaced by
a better method. The labor system
has done excellent service in the inn
provement of pioneer roads, and is the
only method that can be used in a
newly-settled country, but, like the log
house, it should give way at the proper
time to a cash system. When the time
comes that the should be built to ac-
commodate the load, there is practical
ly no further Improvement by the
labor system, for different methods
may be used.
The arguments against the labor
system are summed up briefly as fol-
lows:
The roads are not worked at the
proper season of the year as the farm
er cannot leave his field at the sea-
son when road work should be done.
There is no general plan of work,
and as a result, much of the work is
of no benefit to the road.
A large amount of money is invest
ed in machinery; as the work is near
~ all done at n season, 1T requires
a large amount of machinery which
stands idle the greater part of the
year.
Much time is lost by inexperienced
persons using road machinery, and by
bringing together strange horses for
only two or three days. at a time. u.s.
ing them on work to which they are
not accustomed, and in moving ma
chinery from one part of the road to
another.
Repairs Not Made When Necessary.
This is an essential feature. for it
often occurs that If a break were re-
paired Immediately, it could be done
in a few hours, but when let 60 two
or three months, it will require several
days.
The cost of supervision is high in the
labor system, owing to the time spent
In calling out the farmers, showing
them where to work, looking after ma
cflinery, etc. Records show that SUI
pervision under the labor system is
seldom less than 40 per cent Of the
total tax, while under the cash system
It varies from 6 to 10 per cent In
Ramsey n Hennepin counties, Min
nesota. the tax under the labor system
amounted to 40 per cent, but since the
adoption of the cash system it is only
per cent. Hence, II the cash system
could be adopted and the money ex-
pended under proper supervision. d
surprising amount of good road work
could be accomplished in a few years.
Many Of the rural districts have be-
come so accustomed to poor roads that
they do not realize their rea cost nm
less 1t is directly called to their at4
tention. A farmer in the corn belt sold
his corn for SO cents to be delivered n
February; his object In selling was ia
get the corn to market before the
roads broke UP and spring work be-
gan. On the day he was to begin
Smelling IL rained, the roads becoming
impossible. When the roads again
became solid Sc he could haul. IT was
IN the middle OF the oat sowing sea-
son. He had to stop sowing oats. hanl
his corn to town. and sell it at SO
cents when the market price was s5
cents, He not only was on the road
when he should have been in the field,
but he lost $50. as he had
900 bushels Of corn. He attributed
his misfortune to the w~eather-ff ii
had not ralned, the roads would have
been good. It had not occurred to him
to look at 1T the reverse order-tllat
II he had had a goo road. the rain
would not have delayed him at vhe
longest more than 4 dav. He could
have held his corn until the price suit
ed him without regard to the road,