The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1913-05-16

communities are well served, and the
good roads problem has been solved
A man may have farm mile from q
good road, but II 1t is six miles to
town, he can manage to get over this
| first mile, which will be little used
road. to the main highway, and II from
there he can have a first class road to
| town. making up ivesixths OF the dis
lance, he will be well taken care OF.
The fact that he has FIVE miles Of good
] road and one mile Of poor will spur
him and his neighbors to put In the
| best possible condition this road Of
! secondary Importance. II has always
been found that those opposing the
building Of good roads overesumate
both the cost Of the roads and the
amount Of mileage necessary, and II is
apparently done with the studied pur-
/, pose Of trying to convince people that
1t is impossible 10 build good roads on
account Of the expense involved.
1t has been demonstrated time with
out number that well built roads upon
the main highways will pay for them
selves every Ave or six years. treated
from an economic standpoint alone, to
say nothing of the educational and 30
cial advantages. and the pleasure, and
satisfaction Of using good road In
stead Of poor one.
The good road boomers should keep
in mind some certain things that are
fundamental
First, that under our systsm q gov.
eminent NO large amount Of good
roads can be built unless the farmers
are ready to move in the matter. hence
the farmer and not the automobile
manufacturer or user must be Arst
considered.
Next, that the question Of road ne
csssity has the economic. social and
educational welfare involved In II.
Next. that good roads tho country
over need not cost 5000 to $1o.oeo q
mile. but through the central west
they can easily be built at costs
ranging from 1900 to $5.e0e . mile.
depending upoa local conditions. This
price may be sometimes reduced by
the use Of convict labor in the prspa-
ration Of material
The farmer should remember that
the building Of good roads adds to the
cash value Of his farm more than
twioe as much and sometimes ave
times as much as the tax he will be
called upon to pay to help build them.
He should also remember that II the
roads were uniformly good It would
be much easier to get help upon the
farm. The farm hborer could provide
himself with hicyele. which can be
had q very small cost. and upon rainy
days or Sunday he could &c out and
see his friends instead OF being ma
roonsd by impossible roads.
The farmer should also remember
that over good roads can be hauled
two q three times - much produce
AZ over bad reads. Taking average
road conditions the year round. Il is
safe 70 aay that II one were hauling
over than every day In the year with
the sazns expenditure OF power. at
least one-third more could be dsliv-
cred and possibly twice as much over
good roeas - over the unimproved
Highways nat are often In good con-
dition. but very often bad and some
times impassabls-
In . magazine article the writer
noted The following:
"A prominent southern farmer paid
$500 for pair of mules. He refused
to pay $500 for pair Of smaller
mules because the larger ones could
pull 10 pounds more because Of their
increased sise He refused to vote
bond Issue for good roads that
would have enabled the smaller mules
to pull 1000 pounds more"
Thus IN practice we often save at
the spigst and waste at the bung. The
need Of the hour is to take up the
,ha, az ,aads 80 : 80 rars ~.u as.
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