Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-02-24

| formed Frenchmen who have made q
practical study Of economic problems
! that the superb roads of France have
| been one of the most steady and po-
tent contributions to the material de-
velopment and marvellous financial
| elasticity of the country.
THE far-reaching and splendidl5
! maintained road system has distinctly
favored the success of the small land
and in the ensuing distribution 81
wealth lies the key to the secret Of the
wonderful financial vitality and solid
prosperity Of the French nation
Roads are too valuable to the COM
merce of the country to be neglected
Millions of dollars are annually wasted
because of bad stretches of roads. For
getting crops to market, highway is
no better than the poorest part, for
the reason that If ten miles be first
class and one mile very bad, the load
must be gagged for the bad part of the
road. Thus two loads must be made
instead of one, causing loss of time and
money.
1.-THE last quarter Of a century has
witnessed the awakening Of the pub
lie to the necessity of better country
roads. With the increase of production
has come a corresponding increase in
The fallacy that the greater our rail-
road mileage, the less our dependence
upon the wagon road, has given place
to a realization that the greater the
railroad mileage, the greater the move
ment of freight on the common roads
which are feeders to the railroads. In
France by actual traffic census, 1t has
been found that the tonnage over the
wagon roads is one and a half times as
great as on the railroads. -T1 a.
Facts That are Important.
1T costs more than twice as much
per mile, per ton to haul farm products
over our highways, than it does in
France or England. .&N'
Bad roads cost the United States
last wear, on the same basis, over one
million dollars day.
For this loss the government could
have built over $4,000 miles Of per-
manent highway or placed in good con-
dition, a million miles of dirt roads
The total cost of hauling the pro-
ducts of the farm to the railroad sta
ton in the United States, on account
of bad roads Is greater than the COM
bined cost Of all freight transportation
by railroad and Boat from the railroad
station to the ultimate place Of destin-
alton in the United States or Europe.
1T cost Iowa last year to haul it's
eleven million ton crop to market over
twenty -four million dollars, or over 81
transportation, over $13,000,000.
Iowa is spending $3,0OO,000 year
on good roads, and losing S13,000,000
on bad roads. .
Iowa has 10000 miles of dirt road.
We have $4,000 miles Of so-called main
travelled road, including rural routes.
We could pave or macadamize this
$4,000 miles of main Travelled road at
$4,000 per mile, or total Of $250.000,-
900, which represents less than our loss
would be in twenty years at the present
ratio. FL. 't p.
when roads are bad In the United
States a team is able to haul not over
1000 pounds, while in France a good
draft horse draws 5000 pounds eight,
zen miles day any time in the year.
Those who have been advocating |
good roads in and out of season for |
years past, should congratulate them |
selves that the advent OF the automO-
ollie is making thousands of converts |
laily, to the cause of good roads. There |
were more automobiles sold to farmers !
Ill other persons combined This should
% encouraged, for If all farmers own
ID automobiles, the good roads prob |
EN- would practically be solved.
1.-THE matter of better roads is now
'eceiving attention from our national
congress. Quite number of bills have |
,een introduced at the last two ses
lions for experimental improvements
IN rural delivery highways. There IS
10 question before the American pub
ic today that Is of more vital import
nee than the subject Of good roads.
But it remains for us to say wheth
# we shall have good roads or bad.
Without the proper interest on our
,art, in our own localities, national aid
would benefit us but little. If we would
AVE good roads, we must show our in
lividual interest We must elect good
officials, and while I am a partisan,
t is my Judgment, that for all offices
which have to do with the improve
nent and maintenance Of public high
Ways, our politics should be forgotten
md the best and most practical men
hould receive our support.