The Mobridge news. [volume] (Mobridge, Walworth Co., S.D.) 190?-1917, 1914-01-23
BAD ROADS CAUSE
HEAVY EXPENSE
Farmers and Merchants Are
Equally the Losers.
RESULT OF INVESTIGATION.

Figures Obtained b. Minneapolis Com
mission Show Nv Thousands Of
Dollars Could Be Gaved Annually by
Improving the HI hways of a State.
Farmer Loses $17C For Each Acre.
The farmer and { o business man as
well has at last come to realize the loss
he suffers from bad roads, and the
magnitude OF the movement for better
! conditions is little appreciated by those
whose interests have not brought them
III contact with Ii. The cost Of bad
roads has long been known in Il vague
way, but recent scientific investiga-
tons have brought the matter home in
tangible form to those who suffer from
thcm, Says the Review OF Reviews.
One OF the most thorough: invcstiga-
tons Of the subject everyconducted,
the results of which are used as Il text
! wherever the doctrine of good roads is
preached, was made by the Miuneapo-
lis Civic and Commerce association,
While the conditions Investigated were
those of territory tributary to Mime
apoliS, they are undoubtedly typical
To Il greater or less degree of those ex.
listing elsewhere.
y committee Of the association So.
: lected for Investigation the farming
district. 80 square miles in area. the
trade Of which is tributary TO Mime.
apoliS. From Il thorough anvas OF
the conditions existing there it was
found that the 4,O69 farmers in the dis
trict hauled 100000 tons of farm prod
uce 10 market in 1911 and sold il TO,
St.GGJ.GSo. To DO this they had 10
max" 100000 trips. the time spent in
hauling %cqualinS 800 years of eight
hour days and the distance covered
~ciGlty-cight times the circumference
Of the world.
Bad road conditions caused losses In
time. partly due TO slow progress, part
IS t. the necessity Of taking less direct
routes ana partly because smaller
loads had 10 be carried. Detailed in
v~eStigatiOns showed that the losses In
time We're rs fellows: Due to not TAX
Ing the shortest route. g. 1000; due to
slower progress. 10000: due TO ezra
trips necessary by smaller loads, S159.-
900. q total loss Of S29G. go Losses
from inability to reach the best mar
ket, from the spelling Of produce anu
from injury TO horses and wagons
were found to aggregate $221 900: from
restricted ability TO haul manure SOL
coo. The total loss caused by bad
roads was placed at S60S. 12S.
The committee made the following
deductions: ON account Of bad roads
each farmer lost for the year St.7O for
every acre that he farIned: IL cents
every time he carried n ton OF farm
produce OYER one mile Of bad road; 9
per cent Of his total crop. He paid as
much for bad roads as for labor, more
than for feed for his stock. twenty
i've times rs much as for fertilizer.
The total loss to the farmers in this
district for the year from this cause
would have bought all the corr pro
duced in ii, or al the wheat, or the Oat
crop twice over, or all but 10 per cent
Of the potatoes, or all the barley. rye,
iayseed. timothy seed, hay and forage
combined. The losses would replace
the farm implements or the cattle ey-
cry 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, were 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
within the city limits; that there Were
approximately $500 business houses
in Minneapolis, employing 5000 wag-
ons, whose loss from bad roads was
100000 for the year.
The combined loss OF the farmers.
merchants and manufacturers for one
year was $l,J1S.00O. AS there are
about 5000 miles Of roads in the dis
trict. which would have been kept in
good condition for $1,000 n T, If
properly constructed, in order to ascer-
tain what amount could probably be
invested i'll good roads, the committee
deducted this amount from the total
loss. leaving 81, 1000. Capitalized at
AZ per cent. or > per cent. which is
more than bonds would cost, the prin-
cipal is S22,O00.0O0. If this amount
We're invested in good highways at 81
500 n mile tho district would still break-
- A.