The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1913-04-03
rrI COST OF BAD ROADS.

,ot contain articles telling how
.arious is our need for better
-oads. or scoring the ones that
Ne have now, truthfully remarks
,(exchange. Hardly any big
Asting is held nowadays without
Mhe subject bobbing up. And no
one-there is no exception to this
drives over the roads we have
without venting-forcibly some
times-his opinion of the need
Of better highways.
With all the sentiment seem
;nply unanimous in favor of better
roads than we have, the marvel
i that good highways do not
come apace. One would not think
that ideal roads could be built too
soon. Judging only by an I'M
preiudieed and uniformed OBJ
server would at once be led to
the belief that no official could
he elected to office unless he
were an advocate of good roads.
The truth is that good roads
cost money-large sums of mon
ey-and while we are all enthusi-
astic when it comes to talking
good roads, we are slow to act
when it comes to digging down
in our pockets to raise the money
that is needed.
The conclusion is obvious. When
We face the knowledge that get
ting better highways will mater
tally increase our tax rate.-we
hesitate before authorizing &C.
ton.
Along this line, some figures
rhst were quoted last week by
Samuel Hill, one Of the greatest
good road enthusiasts and one of
the most eminent good roads
authorities in the United States,
are interesting. According to Mr..
Hill, the cost of moving a ton of
freight over the highways of the
United States is thirty cents for
each mile. In Europe, where good
roads are a reality and not a
dream of the future, the ton cost
mile is ten cents.
Thus it is seen that the Ameri-
can farmer, for not having as
good roads as the European, is
penalized twenty cents a ton for
every mile he hauls his produce
When the enormous tonnage that
moves over our roads is taken in.
to consideration, it is easy to re-
alize that we are wasting huge
sums Of money by failing to
bring about the Improvement that
We all seem to want.
Nor is it the farmer alone who
suffers. AS in other cases the Ill
innate consumer pays the bills
or else the producer loses money
on what he brings to the town tc
market. Suppose a man who lives
In the city orders a ton of hay
from farmer living five miles
out in the country. This bao
roads penalty of twenty cents
mile amounts ~ a dollar, and this
dollar must be included in the
price of the hay, or the producer
suffers the loss.
If every man who moves freight
over the roads of Idaho will ge'
out a pencil and some paper ano
figure out for himself the amour
OF penalty that he is paying at thu
rate of 20 cents a mile for every
ton, he will soon find that build
ing smooth, permanent roads Il
means of direct saving, rathel
than of adding to the tax burden.
Mr.. Hill probably knows as mucl
about roads, and about the eos
OF moving freight over them, a
any other man in the United
States. He has travelled all owe
the world, and has studied road
wherever he has been. He know
what he is talking about. There
fore, his figures may be accepted
as wholly reliable.
'egon il doing great work Of
ner roads with convict 'abor at
nominal cost. What is the matte
with Idaho that she does not TAX
up this vital questions