The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-07-26
TOpekans Have Taken Stand
for Good Roads.
Are Members Ma
tional Highway Association.
NETWORK OF ROADS WANTED
This Organization Is for Better
Highways Everywhere.
Relation of Roads to the Cost
of Living.

More than one hundred motorists
in Topeka recently joined the Ma
tional Highways association which has
as its object the building of a net
work of good roads throughout the
country. Within the last few years
the good roads movement has spread
rapidly, and Topekans have caught
the spirit. Already a marked improve
ment in the roads in Kansas and the
entire nation has been made, and 1t Is
the opinion of those interested that
much more will be accomplished in
the next few years.
The president pro tenn of the Ma
tiona1 Highways association, Charles
Henry Davis, is a good roads optim1st.
He recently said:
Billions for Roads.
The National Highways association
estimates that more than $25, 100000
900 will be spent in the next twenty
five years on the 100000 miles or
highways in the United States. The
wise expenditure of this vast sum Is
of paramount importance to the 100,-
100000 people of this nation. The
purpose of the association is to pro-
mote discussion. disseminate know1-
edge, and assist as to the best devel-
opment of these highways. The as
ISOLATION believes the most benef1cent
results will be obtained by first secur-
ing the building and permanent main
tenance by the federal government of
approximately $4,000 miles of high
ways throughout the United States as
a great system of national highways;
and next, to encourage the building
of "good roads everywhere" as the
distributing and collecting medium for
the traffic of national highways.
Roads and Cost of Living.
Following are interesting facts con-
corning good roads and the high cost
of living that were published recent
1v nv the National Highways aSSO-
citation:
TWO horses haul one bale of cotton
a few miles in one day on bad
road. They haul twelve bales double
the distance or more on good road.
The same is true of hay, grain, pro-
duce, etc. 1t costs our farmers twelve
and a half cents a ton to haul any,
thing on a good road, and double that
on an average country road, and four
to ten or more times that over Cor
rather through a bad road.
What have such conditions to do
with the high cost of living?
OF our 100000 miles of highways,
less than 100000 are improved, and
these only partly so. 1t costs our
ten miles to the railroad than to ship
it from New York to Liverpool.
Concerning Price of Roads.
National highways $1,000 miles long
at the high figure of $4,000 a mile
would cost $1,OOU, OOO,OUO-a lot OF
money! But the annual saving would
be over $4,000, O00-or only twenty
years for such savings to pay for them.
But improved roads increase farm
values within one mile by SIS an acre.
Such a system of national highways
would add not less than half their cost
or 100000, 000-to farm values.
Should the remaining 100000
miles of highways cost $4,000 a mile
to improve, their total cost of $10,O00,-
100000 would be saved in seven years,
ana sne Ire IN 9o the eoo a pno iand val
than enough to pay their cost.
Yet some legislators say, 1.-The ma
ton cannot afford to build national
highways"