New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-10-25
AUTO NEWS OF THE DAY
Trade League Figures Show
Need for Better Highways.
ANOTHER WEEK AT BEACH
w. E. Flanders Will Visit Flo.
rida Before Taking Up New
Duties in This City.

If any proof were needed that the
automobile maker, dealer and owner and
the farmer should work together in the
cause OF good roads, II is furnished In
statistics which have been collected by
members of the Automobile Trade
League, the Organization OF motorists
that is arranging the good roads rally on
November l in Madison Square Garden
These statistics show that the states
acreage OF untitled land is annually
growing i'm extent, and that the value OF
land under cultivation in the so-called
back country" remote from railroads
and not, as yet, deriving any benefit from
the millions that have been spent for good
roads. is decreasing. The interest OF the
automobile fraternity lies not only In the
fact that good highways are necessary to
the enjoyment OF automobile ownership,
but that the opening OF the remoter agri.
cultural districts will provide market at
nresent unavailable purely through lack
Of good roads, or roads Of any kind.
"The good roads issue in the present
noIitical campaign I'm this state Is, 10 my
mind. far more important than the sue.
cess or failure of any one candidate, be-
cause the money involved in the referen.
dunn vote on highways, II properly ad'
uinistered, means untold BENEFITS TO the
state at LARGE" says CASTOR Plaintiff,
New York manager for the Ford Motor
Company, who has travelled more widely
ord has sold more automobiles IN the
state than any other man.
81 know that right system OF good
roads will add s., 900, 200 to the taxable
values in this state. l have travelled
hundreds Of miles of the beaten track, In
stalling agencies at crossroads ana inter-
viewing individual customers, and have
been able to see that thousands OF acres
OF tiIlable land have been Withdrawn rom
cultivation just because OF the aosencs
of highways that will permit the farmer
IN market at figures that make farming
profitable or even self-supporting
"As a matter of fact, the latest census
shows that since 1900 72s,0oO acres Of
tI,ahIe land have been withdrawn from
cultivation. Farm values that were az
the highest I'm 1885 have been decreasing
steadily ever since. For that matter too
nonuIation in the farming counties has
decreased anywhere from 40 to 90 per
cent i'm the last fifty years.
This is a matter OF importance not
only TO the agriculturalist, but TO the IN
habitant OF the big cities as well. Good
roads. which would enable the farmer to
reach his markets more readily, would
mean $3.50, 100000 annually cut from ths
cost Of living in New York City alone
THE thing TO do with good roads AZ
nropriation Is TO build radal market
roads. opening up tillable districts and
connecting with main trunk lines. The
first $50. OOO. 900 appropriation for high
u,ays I'm this state is nearly gone, with no
proyision for maintenance Of roads oullt
an unwlse system. that cannot fail to cost
the state heavily I'm the end.
81 find that about 90 per cent OF the
automobiles I'm the state outside % the
cities are owned along the main ,runs
roads The other 10 per cent are found
IN the back country. whore there are 4
few isolated stretches Of good roads IN
terspersed with long stretches OF unm'
proyed highways, arranged according 10
the present eccentric system Of highway
building"