The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1913-01-17
FOR BETTER ROADS.

Harrisburg, Jan. 14.-The Com
mittee on Highways of the Civic and
Commerce Association of Minneapo-
lis, Mimi, has issued report this
year which states:
The trade district of Minneapolis
is $50 square miles. A Farmers
Census" was taken by rural letter
carriers during January and Febru-
ary, 1911. They addressed 20 ques-
tions each to 4,069 farmers, who
hauled to market in 1911, 100000
tons of farm produce which sold for
$6,665,6S0, requiring 3O5,0O0 trips,
consuming $4,000 eight-hour work
ing days and covering 4,70O,00O
miles. Appalling losses due to bad
roads of every conceivable nature
were definitely disclosed, totaled as
follows:
First is the loss of time, part due
to slower progress, part to taking
a longer route than usual, and part
because smaller loads have to be
hauled. The average wage of man
and team is 4S cents, and at this
rate the loss of time in 1911 due to
not taking the straightest route was
$4,000, and the loss of time due to
slower progress was $4,000, and the
loss of time due to extra trips
necessitated by smaller loads was
$159, ,000-a total loss in time in
1911 of $296,OOO.
The total loss, probably far un-
derstated, owing to inability to mar
ket where the most money could be
obtained or because of the spelling
of produce or injury to horses or
wagons, in 1911, was $221,000.
Fertilizer to the value of $121,000
is produced annually in Minneapolis
When the weather prevents farmers
from working on the farm, it is prof
liable to haul manure, but not other
wise. The federal census supports
the committees conclusion that not
more than 20 per cent of available
fertilizer is taken to the farms, so
there was a loss from this cause in
1911 of SOL, 900.
The total loss, then to the farmers
of the trade district of Minneapolis
in 1911, of time, of money, of mar
ket and of manure, reached the ap-
palling total of $60S,000.
Loss because of longer
route ..'...:.. ::..S 6l,994.Ol
Loss because of slow
progress ... 75,62764
Loss because of extra
trips ........ 137,621.66
Loss because of specific
reasons ........ 221,374.16
Loss because of inability
to haul manure $3.50. 91,925.OO
Total loss ......... .$6OS,72S.15
Each farmer lost $3.50. He lost
S1.7O for every acre that he farmed
He lost 13 cents every time he car
ried ton of farm produce over one
mile of bad roads. He lost 9 per
cent. of his total crop. If he owned
100 acres, he grew thistles on g.
He paid as much for bad roads as
he did for his hired help. He paid
$40 more for bad roads than he did
for feed for his stock. He paid 25
times as much for bad roads as he
did for commercial fertilizer. He
paid a bad road tax of $14.30 per
= 41,O00-1 IL per cent. on his total
investment.
What the farmers of this district
lost last year because of bad roads
would have bought all the crop pro-
duced in the district, or all the wheat,
or the oat crop twice over, or all but
10 per cent. of the potatoes, or all
the barley, rye, faXseed, timothy
seed, hay and forage combined.
1t would replace the farm imple-
ments owned in the district every
three years, the cattle every three
years, the horses every four years,
and all the other domestic animals
combined every six months.