The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1912-12-26
ISAAC L. TOTEM

For reasons which We cannot I'M
derstand, farmers will sometimes OPP
/ pose movements that mean much to
/ them both from Il viewpoint OF profit
and of pleasure.
| The other day read an article in
Michigan Trade Journal which re
lated an Incident of how the farmers
in Kemp county. of that state. work
ed and voted against good roads
proposition. The county of Kent had
been designated as one of the counties
which was 10 receive the benefits OF
the farm management" service OF the
agricultural department OF the state of
] Michigan
The government bears a portiO of
the expense of the farm manage
ment" service TO the amount of $1,000.
The association of commerce was to
provide office rent. stenographer and
stationery equivalent TO. at least. $500
and the county board of supervisors
was asked to appropriate $1,000 TO
make up the remainder needed.
This service which the agriculture
department was 10 give was entirely
for the benefit of the farmers TO show
them how TO make better use OF their
opportunities, to be more modern in
their methods and more successful in
their business.
Is an Expert.
The man who was assigned TO take
charge of the farm management" ser
vice is graduate of the agricultural
college and has been a successful
farmer and dairyman. With this ex.
pert near at hand. every farmer in
that county had at his disposal place
to go with his problems and perplex-
tiles.
Now comes the surprising part OF
the incident. When the matter of ap
propriating the $1,000, as the county S
share of the expense, came up before
the supervisors, had it not been for
the practically unanimous vote of the
city members, the proposition would
have been defeated
Seyenty-siX percent of the tax comes
from the city and twenty-four percent
from the outside townships, yet more
than half the county supervisors were
opposed to a service that is certain
to make the farmers of that county
more prosperous.
Another incident also came up in
the matter of issuing bonds for $500,
600 for the building of good roads.
The good roads We're all to be il
the country to make it easier for the
farmers to market thir products
Twenty-four percent of the tax burden
ha+ @f
ers, while the city was to pay seventy
six percent, yet strange as it may
seem, had it not been for the cit,
: vote the proposition would nave beer
lost.
, Instance after instance of this kline
comes up in practically every count.
, of this state and just what the farm
. ers have in mind in turning down an,
, proposition that is within the bounds
? of reason on the road improvement
! subject, | am at a loss to understand
Great Loss.
In this column a short time ago
told of an experience of my owl
| wherein the loss in hauling to marke
5000 bushels of produce over bat
( roads amounted to something like So
and | will venture to say that if tn,
: proposition came up to improve tina
J road, over which | was compelled t.
: haul the produce a large number o
farmers on the road would be oppose,
to it.
Why?
= This is bit of psychology which
will not attempt to explain here be
cause | cannot.
; According to data that has beel
gathered on the road subject, hors
can pull 250 pounds over a mudd
road. 1900 pounds over dry dirt roads
1850 pounds over roads in bad con
dition: $500 pounds on the same roa,
in good condition; $500 pounds OF
! macadam roads, and $500 pounds OF
brick roads.
: If these figures are correct, it viii
, 'be easy for any one to draw their cor
clusion as 10 what bad roads mean tc
ward reducing farm profits
The Farmers Guide tells of a Ter
nessee farmer who four years ago ha
to haul barbed wire for a distance O
twenty-three miles. His team coul
haul only five hundred pounds pc
load and it required three days t
make the trips costing him $500 t
haul ton. The road was improved
Now this same farmer makes the tri
in one day and hauls a ton load ca:
lily,
This means a saving of $4,000 pc
ton.
, Another Feature.
, There is another feature that enter
! into the road question and that j
during certain seasons of the year
is impossible TO haul loads over ba
, roads.
No matter how much the farme
would like to get his produce TO mari
ct, at that season OF the year. it is in
: possible for him to do so, and OWN
: to this fact the farmer on the ba
road is apt to lose many dollars b.
= cause he cannot get his crop to mari
: ct at a certain time
: In some sections of the countr.
there has been instances when PR