The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1914-01-02
BAD ROADS CAUSE
HEAVY EXPENSE
Farmers and Merchants Are
Equally tho Losers.
OF INVESTIGATION.

Figures Obtained by Minneapolis Com.
mission Show How Thousands Of
Dollars Could ee Saved Annually by
Improving the Highways Of a State.
Farmer Loses $40 For Each Acre.
we'll has ut 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
in contact with it. The cost of bad
roads has long been known in a vague
way. but recent scientific investiga-
tons have brought the matter home in
tangible form to those who suffer from
them, says the Review of Reviews.
One of the most thorough investiga-
lions Of the subject rel conducted,
the results of which are used as a text
wherever the doctrine Of good roads is
preached. was made by the Minneapo-
lis Civic and Commerce association.
While the conditions Investigated were
those of territory tributary to Mime
apolis. they are undoubtedly typical
to a greater or less degree of those *
listing elsewhere.
A committee of the association Sc
lected for investigation the farming
district. $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.O69 farmers in the dis
trict hauled 100000 tons of farm prod
uce to market in 1911 and sold it for
$6,665,GSO. To do this they had to
make 100000 trips. the time spent in
hauling equaling 800 years of eight
hour days and the distance covered
lightweight times the circumference
of the world.
Bad road conditions caused losses in
time. partly due to slow progress. part
~ to the necessity of taking less direct
routes and partly because smaller
loads had to he carried. Detailed in
vestigations showed that the losses IN
l4u1E WCIS dS lOlIO"S. LUZ W uOI l0N.
ing the. shortest route. $4,000: due to
slower progress. S75 5000: due to ext."a
trips necessary by smaller loads. $780,
600. a total loss of $685. 600. Losses
from inability to reach the best mar
ket.' from the spelling of produce and
from injury to horses and wagons
were found to aggregate $221.OO0: from
restricted ability to haul manure. $91.-
600. The total loss caused by bad
roads was placed at S6O9. 72S.
The committee made the following
deductions: On account Of bad roads
each farmer lost for the year $1.7O for
every acre that he farmed: 10 cents
every time he carried a ton of farm
produce over one mile of bad road: 8
per cent of his total crop He paid us
much for bad roads as for labor. more
than for feed for his stock. twenty
five times us much as for fertilizer.
The total loss to the farmers in this
district 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. OF all the barley. rye.
flaxseed. timothy seed. hay and forage
combined. The losses would replace
the farm implements. or the cattle ev-
cry three years. the horses every four
years. and would pay off all the mort
cages in the district in three years.
with $1OO.OOO to spare.
The farmers. moreover. were not the
only losers from bud roads. The com
mittee found that the worst sections
Of the ronds they had to travel be-
tween their farms and market were
within the rity limits: that there were
Approximately 1900 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 n
year was 81. 51S.OOO. AS there are
about 1000 miles Of ronds in the dis
trict. which would have been kept in
good condition for $4,000 a r. If
properly constructed. In order t.. iscer-
tain what amount could probably be
invested in good roads. the committee
deducted this amount from the total
loss. leaving $1.20O,OOO. Capitalized ut
AZ per cent. or s per cent. which is
more than bonds would cost. the prin-
cipal is $%22.OOO.OOO. II this amount
were invested ID good highways at ST.
600 q mile the district would still break
even on the investment.
FARMER pllu ne MnnEl RnAn.