The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-08-09
LOSSES CAUSED BY BAD ROADS.

The farmer, and the business man
as we'll, has at last come to realize the
| losses he suffers from bad roads, and
the magnitude of the movement to
better conditions is little appreciated
by those whose interests have not
brought them in contact with it, writes
Walter C. Tiffany in the American Re
view of Ieviews for August. The cost
of bad roads has long been known in
a vague way. but recent scientific in
vestigations have brought the matter
home in tangible form to those who
suffer from them One of the most
thorough Investigations of the subject
ever conducted, the results of which are
used as a text whenever the doctrine of
good roads is preached, was made by
the Minneapolis Civic and Commerce
association. While the conditions in
vestigated were those of territory tri-
butary to Minneapolis, they are I'M
doubtedly typical to a greater or less
degree, of those existing elsewhere.
A committee of the association select
ed for investigation the farming dis
trict $50 square miles in area, the
trade of which is tributary to Mime
apolis. From a thorough canvass of
the conditions existing there it was
found that the 4,069 farmers in the
district hauled 100000 tons of farm
produce to market in 1911 and sold it
for $6,665, $50. To do this they had to
make 305, 900 trips, the time spent equal.
ling 500 years of eight-hour days and
the distance covered IS times the cir
cumferance of the world. Bad road
conditions caused losses in time partly
due to slow progress, partly to the ne
cessity of taking less direct routes, and
partly because smaller loads had to be
carried. Detailed Investigations showed
that the losses in time were as fol-
lows: Due to not taking the shortest
route. $62. 600; due to slower progress.
SIS. 600: due to extra trips necessita-
ted by smaller loads. s159,OOO-a total
loss of 1896 Losses from inability
to reach the best market. from the
spelling of produce. and from injury
to horses and wagons were round to ag-
gregate $221, 900; from restricted ability
to haul manure, s91. 900. The total loss
caused by bad roads was placed at
$60S,7S2.
The committee made the following
| deductions: On account of bad roads
La
every acre that he farmed; Is cents
every time he carried a ton of farm
produce over one mile of bad roads;
9 per cent of his total crop. He paid
as much for bad roads as for labor:
more than for feed for his stock; %
times as much as for fertilizer. The
total loss to the farmers in this dis
trict for the year from this cause
| would have bought all the corn pro-
duced in it. or all the wheat, or the oat
| crop twice over, or all but 10 per cent
| of the potatoes, or all the barley, rye,
! fiaxseed. timothy seed, hay, and forage
| combined. The losses would replace
| the farm implements or the cattle every
| three years, the horses every four
| years, and would pay off all the mort
| cages in the district in three years,
| with 100000 to spare.
| The farmers, moreover, We're not the
| only losers from bad roads. The COM
mittee found that the worst sections
| of the roads they had to travel be-
| tween their farms and market were