The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1912-04-23
the Farmer.

III the farmer Is imprisoned by bat
roads, he can not enjoy fully farm
life. He can not conveniently reacl
the school, the church, the town, OF
his friendly neighbors IL the roads ar,
very bad
cial, moral, mental and material de
velopment Of the farmer If the roads
are bad
Only SO per cent of the total road
mileage of the United States is i'm
proved at the present time, yet we
expended approximately $79,OOO,OO0 in
work on the roads in 1904 The ex
penditure has been entirely out of pro
portion to the results accomplished
The reason for this have pointed out.
II Is due to the extreme localization,
bad road laws, bad administration, and
lack of coordination. We have little
skilled supervision with but few men
with knowledge of road building or
OF any profound interest in IL. The
laws must be changed, and they can
only be changed and greatly improved
by instructing the public mind and
public men.
The profit of the farmer is repre-
scented by the difference between the
cost of production and transportation
and the selling price. II he can cut
the transportation in half, he will ma
terially benefit himself financially;
and If the cost of transportation could
be reduced s600,000,OO0, the farmer
would easily be benefited to the ex-
tent OF one-half his saving, granting
that the city inhabitants would bene-
fit by the other half of the saving
We complain of the high cost OF liv-
ing, and do not sufficiently analyze
the reasons for the high cost. Lower
transportation means lower cost of
living, both to the farmer and city
resident
We should perfect the national wa
terways likewise and control the rail-
ways to lower the cost of transporta-
ton.
The mean cost of carrying wheat
from New York to Liverpool--by water
3,100 miles-is only 3.S cents per
bushel, while it costs the farmer on
an average more than that to haul
his wheat to the railway station.
The consular reports show that
hauling in Germany, France and Eng.
land is frequently as low as and S
cents ton mile, and rarely higher
than l3 cents.
The cost on fair earth roads is 20
cents ton per mile; on earth roads
containing ruts, 80 cents; on sandy
roads when wet, 32 cents; on sandy
roads when dry, GA cents; on black
gumbo when thoroughly wet passing
is impossible. Steep grades on the
roads is another serious tax ON trans.
portation, because the chain is no
stronger than the weakest link"
II the farmer has good roads, he
can take to the town two or three
times as much in load as he does
now. He could haul to town from q
distance two or three times as great
as he does now. He could haul ia
town products suitable for marketing
He would be directly benefited by
making the town, the people and the
school more accessible.
He would be benefited by making
his neighbors easier of access, ant
in that way his social pleasure an
personal happiness would be IN
| creased.
He would be able to deliver mis-
farm products to the town every da,
in the year, and therefore would have
a steady market throughout the veal
for his products, whereas he may bc
by muddy roads excluded for two OF
three months at time from his mar
ket, and the town people in like man
ner may be deprived of vegetables
fowl, eggs, milk and other farm prod
ucts which are essentially to theil
comfort.
In Bradley county, Tenn, bonds
We're issued for 100 miles of excel
lent macadam roads, and lands that
were valueless before these roads
and lands that were valueless before
were built now find ready purchasers
at from SIS to $50 per acre,
Effect Of Road Improvement on Traf
flick.
II the roads were improved, traffic
would not be congested at one sea
son and very limited at another sea
son, because the transportation OF the
crops could be made at convenience
and uniformly without the Interrupt
tons of bad weather. The railroads