The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1913-08-21
HERE Is AN ANALYSIS OF BAD
ROADS RESULTS

zens of Grangeville and Idaho county
to forget for a moment the subject
of good roads, for to them and their
interests it is by far the most impor
tant and vital matter that confronts
them at the present time. High taxes
or low taxes for the support of coun-
ty and state governments will not
compare in interest with good roads.
Bad roads are the worst kind of a
drain on the people who put up with
them. Our republic was brought In
to existence over the question of
our citizens being taxed without get
ting adequate returns therefrom. Tax
alton without representation as fore
ed upon our forebears by King George
the third violated all business prin-
ciples and rules of fair dealing and
they refused to submit to it, even en-
gaging in long and bloody war to
free themselves from such conditions.
When 1t comes down to a dollars and
cents proposition, the real injury and
loss worked our forefathers In un.
just taxation was but a bagatelle to
the unjust tax bad roads are levying
upon us and the inconvenience, dis
comfort and suffering they entail.
And we do not have to go to war and
shed blood to relieve the bad roads
incubus which Is now sitting us and
our business interests, but we will
have to shed considerable sweat and
spend time and money. II present
road conditions were forced upon US
by some tyrannical ruler who refus-
ed to allow us to remedy them, how
our free American blood would boil
and surge through our veins, and
how promptly we would rise up and
smite the oppressor, and repair the
roads. This. by the way. Is only in.
troductory to the following thorough
ly reliable article on estimates Of
losses entailed by poor roads, as set
forth by the Review of Reviews of
recent date. Read 1t and digest It
thoroughly; it Is worth while:
"The farmer. the business man as
well, 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 interess have not
brought them in contact with 1t. The
cost of bad roads has long been
known in a vague way. but recent
scientific Investigations 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
wherever the doctrine of good roads
Is preached, was made by the Civic
and Commerce association. The con
ditions investigated are typical O.
those elsewhere.
"A committee selected the farming
district of 750 square miles In area
the trade of which Is tributary Il
Minneapolis. The 4069 farmers II
the district hauled 100000 tons o
farm produce to market in 1911 an,
sold 1t for $6,665, $50. They had t.
make 3O5,000 trips, the time equal
ling 800 years of eight-hour days an,
the distance SO times the circumfer
ence of the world. Bad road condi
tons caused losses in time, partl
due to slow progress, partly to tn
necessity of taking less direct routes
and partly because loads had to b
carried. The losses In time were q
follows: Due to not taking the short
est route, $62 900, due to slower pre-
gress. $4,000; due to extra trips ne
cessitated by smaller loads. $159, 90
Ia total loss of $4,000. Losse
from inability to reach the best maj
ket, from spelling of produce. an
from injury to horses and wagons az
gregate 1921 900; from restricted abb
ity to haul manure, $91, 900. Tota
loss was $608.72S.
THE committee made the following
deductions: On account OF bad road
each farmer lost for the year SIT
Tor every acre that he farmed: l
tents every time he carried a to
OF farm produce over one mile 9
bad roads; 8 per cent of his tots
crop. He paid as much for bad road
as for labor; more than for feed 70
stock; 25 times as much as for fel
tilizer. The total loss would hav
bought all the corn produced. of a.
the wheat. or the oat crop twic
over, or all but 10 per cent of tn
potatoes, or all the barley, rye, fla
seed, timothy seed, hay and forag
combined. The losses would replac
the farm implements or the cattl
every three years, the horses ever,
fOur voar re and M all tho mort on Ca