Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1913-08-30
VALUE OF GOOD ROADS.
Benefit of Good Roads to State, County OF
Township-Their Influence in Up
building Any Section.

building Any Section.
Following is article one of series of
articles, authorized by the state high
way commission, written by Chairman
E. G. Issenhuth of the commission:
Everybody has heard the historic ex-
preston "All roads lead to Rome" mean
ing public highways, as there was then
no means of travel except on foot, driv-
ing or riding. She was wise and great
and believed by building roads it would
build up commercial 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 belonging to other nations.
The writer travelled in England on a
road from London to Exeter built by
Julius Caesar more than two thousand
years ago and found it still in perfect
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 Nation.
The importance of better roads is be-
ing realized more and more. In 1912
twenty-five counties of South Dakota
referended the Good Roads law of 1911,
as / permitted that clause to be inserted
10 please the farmers who wanted it as
members of the House of Representa-
tyes at Pierre. All these counties en-
dorsed the law, and on the total vote of
all these twenty five counties carried by
over two to one. Not one county car
ried against the new law. The move
ment is crystalizing rapidly and when
crystalized will be force for good as it
goes hand in hand and arm in arm with
other forward movements of our time
as education, better farming, conserva-
tion of moisture and soil, more live
stock, dairying, and other steps to de-
velopment.
Also good roads cheaper the farmers
transportation because he should figure
same, not from his railway station to the
markets of the world, but from his
granary and kitchen door to said mar
kets of the world, in hauling his pro-
ducts 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
its weakest link-for the size of the load
has to be governed by the deepest mud
hole or steepest hill on the way. On
the old road he could haul about thirty
bushels of wheat on one trip; with prop
erly 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 bushels to market. My
friends this is worthy your thought and
study. The analysis will be good one
to put in practice. Don't let US mind
the expense, for it is not a matter of
expense but is an investment in every
sense of the word-brings 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 be-
sides pays the county and state together
six dollars annually. Furthermore, the
reader of this article would like to buy
an auto tomorrow if he had the means
to spare am sure.
Let us not criticize the city resident
for he always has helped to build all
bridges and now wants to pay bis 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 ad-
joining a completed highway is no small |
item. Sufficient 10 say that it is several
times more than the cost of building the |
highways along the land. In Madison |
county, Tennessee, the land value in
creased from an eight dollar value
standing still at that, to twenty dol
lars per acre and demand for it. This |
can be easily proven by writing to some |
old friends in state which is investing |
millions of dollars as Pennsylvania, New |
York, or California 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, Miss
issippi and Georgia. Almost all states
have appropriated state aid. This can
be done when new constitution is
adopted for our state.
We are passing the talking stage in
this state-and are entering the construc-
tive stage of actually building roads.
Give your support, good citizen, by ia.
voring a road levy for 1914. This should
be done by the Board of County Com
missioners of each county in the state.
at their meeting September End next, if
your county proposes to do road build
ing next year.