The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1913-09-18
THE VALUE OF GOOD ROADS


of articles, authorized by the state
highway commission, written by Chair
man E. C. Issenhuth of the commits
sion:
Everybody has heard the historic
expression "All roads lead to Rome"
meaning public highways, as there
was then no means of travel except
on foot, driving or riding. She was
wise and great and believed by build
ing roads it would build up a CONNER
cial supremacy which it did. We now
know much which Rome didn't know,
but she knew more than we do now in
realizing the value of roads. She
built them far out into lands now be-
longing to other nations.
The writer travelled in England on
a road from London to Exeter built
by Julius Caesar more than two thous-
and years ago and found it still in per-
feet condition.
By building highways in communi-
ties, we become state builders, because
they attract others, help ourselves
and are an asset to the state and ma
ton.
The importance of better roads is
being realized more and more. Ir
1912 twenty-five counties of South
Dakota r~eferended the Good Roads
law of 1911, as / permitted that clause
to be inserted to please the farmers
who wanted it as members of the
house of representatives at Pierre. All
these counties endorsed the law, and
on the total vote of all these twenty
five counties carried by over two to
one. Not one county carried against
the new law. The movement is
crystalizing rapidly and when crystal
lied will be a force for good as it goes
hand in hand and arm in arm with
all other forward movements of our
time as education, better farming, con
servation of moisture and soil,
live stock, dairying, and other steps to
development.
Also good roads cheaper the farmers
transportation because he should fig
ure same, not from his railway station
to the markets of the world, but from
his granary and kitchen door to said
markets of the world, in hauling his
products to the markets, and the
articles he needs from the markets for
his home and farm use.
The road between the country home
and the market town is no better than
it's weakest link-for the size of the
load has to be governed by the deep
est mud-hole or steepest hill, on the
way. On the old road he could haul
about thirty bushels of wheat on one
trip; with properly graded roads he
can haul ninety bushels on same trip.
At a probable cost of five dollars per
trip for man and team, the SUM of ten
dollars is saved in getting ninety bush
els to market. My friends this is
worthy your thought and study. The
analysis will be a good N to put in
practice. Don't let us mind the eX-
pense, for it is not a matter of eX-
pense but is an investment in every
sense of the word-bring more lasting
returns than any other taxes paid for
future, as we'll as the present. Don't
mind the auto owner-he pays taxes
on the full valuation Of his auto, then
besides pays the county and state to-
gether six dollars annually. Further
more, the reader of this article would
like to buy an auto tomorrow if he had
the means to spare l am sure.
Let us not criticize the city resi-
dent for he always has helped to build
all bridges and now wants to pay his
share of taxes to grade your highways,
while at the same time the country
resident does not help to build the
streets Of the cities and towns. They
do this alone.
The additional value to the land adj
joining a completed highway is no
small item. Sufficient to say that it is
several times more than the cost of
building the highways along the land.
In Madison county, Tennessee the land
value increased from an eight dollar
understanding still at that, to TWEEN
ty-five dollars per acre and a demand
for it. This can be easily proven by
writing to some old friends in a state
which is investing millions of dollars
as Pennsylvania, New York, or Cali
fornia are doing.
We, in South Dakota, belong to the
five lowest states in the record of ap-
propriating funds for the building OF
highways-to the class of Alabama,
Mississippi and Georgia. Almost all
states have appropriated state aid.
This al be done when a new consti-
tuition is adopted for our state.
We r passing the talking stage
in this state-and are entering the
constructive stage OF actually building
roads. Give your support, good citi-
zen, by favoring a road levy for 1914.