Amarillo daily news. [volume] (Amarillo, Tex.) 19??-current, 1914-07-21
GOOD ROADS FOR
RURAL PEOPLES
WHAT IT II COSTING THE UNIT
ED STATES 10 IMPROVE ITS
HIGHWAYS.
MANY MILLIONS Spent
awakening of County Due In Great
Measure to state Aid which
Has Been Offered To
communities
Special to The News

Special tu The News
WASHINGTON. D. c., July 1s.--
approximately 100000, ,00O was
spent las. year on public roads In
the United States. according To sta
tistics prepared by the United States
department OF Agriculture. In 1904
The total was only $4,000 900. In
nine years. therefore. the increase
has been over $50 per cent.
This awakening on the part OF the
country to the importance OF good
roads has. experts say. been due IN
"A great measure TO the principle OF
state aid 10 counties and other local
communities. New Jersey began the
movement In 1891 when II passed It's
state highway law. Massachusetts,
and Vermont followed a year later.
but Tor the most part the other
states were slow 10 move. In 1904
only fifteen had state highway de-
partments. today there are only six
that have not ln 1913 the indiyid-
nal states appropriated a total OF
S3N,T55.0NN. 10 supplement local ex-
penditures.
The value of this state aid e., how
ever not 10 bee measured by the fig
urcs alone. for the bulk Of the
money comes, and always must come.
from the counties and townships.
Thus. In 1912, the cash outlay by
counties. districts and townships, was
S131,493.9Sj. Complete figures for
1919 are not yet available, but 1t is
safe To estimate the sum at approxi-
mutely $l5l,N00. 900. To this must
be added some $4,000 600 To- repre-
sent the value of the labor contribute
ed instead OF cash in districts where
/ this practice prevails Last year.
1 therefore. local communities con-
trlbuted. In round numbers. one hun
/ dred and siXty-siX millions of dollars.
as against appropriations from state
treasures OF S3S.755.0SS. The true
importance of this thirty-eight mil
lions lies in the fact that II means ex-
port guperyiiO Of The eXpenditure
0f a' considerable portion %, the vast
sum of two hundred millions When
each county built as chose and
when 10 chose. the services Of trained
engineers were usually out or the
question There was little opportu-
.niy to test innovations. little adj
Nanto in the science OF road-nuildine.
and there was also difficulty IN
arousiup oacn county individually to
do los best 20 improve conditions
within is oNu limits state aid has
chauaod 600 This The best engineer
ing skill rs available for an works of
importance. there is cooperation and
Ia rou.ta stimulus 90 further i'm
'uroyomput. The money contributed
hv the states does not only build
moro roads. t makes better those
/ that other money builds
a. the present time there are IN
the United States 2o.5ll miles OF
roads improved either wholly or IN
part by state aid This is nearly the
mileage ol tbc French routes nation
llp.. the system OF great national
..IsIuag. which is Doe envy OF every
civilized nation The routes nation
lI.- are. u' ooure, only small part
of the total mileage OF France, where
practically every road 90 any impor-
uurc Is au improved road. aud
France 4. ID vastly smaller country.
both in area and in population, than
the United states. $50 that this COM
uarison e not. iu itself very ilo'ter-
inu to our prOgressiVenc- u shows
however that Wc have M least made
% beeirniue or the g,1-I.N4. miles
ol roads u the United states, 1885,
'--t miles az approNmateIF 'u per
cent are cla .ci l- improved.
To improve the rema.uing 700 per
cent may we'll seem o nlg job u is,
Im M0I only made pc -ioIr because
the work really pays tor Itself From
material gathered br the Inited
State. Department of Agriculture. u
B.. uuW possible to prove nor only
.tat good roads are o. proillhle M
So, .tmout. but 90 dDt'rmiu" exactly
what dividends they pIF An .u'es-
Neator ASSIGNED tU .fI- problem ~
any given locality 'Ir-l l.ceri1ins thr
extent 0l the territory that f, irlhu-
.ury .o anv main r1lI WurN d' one
might ascertain fID territory irihu-
ars t0 some river |1r ueN step ls
Lam accurate estimate u' the toial
product of fhi- territory. 30 much
grain. .o much tobacco -o much
Garden truck etc. etc Oi this guam
.uty % certain portion .s consumed on
the farm the rest - h.ppci over the
road Boa question The whole calcu-
Iation can then b., checked ny inves-
.rgators at tHe shipping point To
which the road lends. In general o.
has been found that tlc two methods
WELD much tH, same information
the total amount of produce hauled
over tlf road NcNt the length oi
Ohio average haul i- calculated. tue
lalo of the load permitted by the
'cbarartsr ol ihe road asceriained.
and tho cost of teams aud drivers
figured With those facts before
him the Investigator is nov able 20
.tste pa-.titeiy the cost OF hauling
ton of n-oIuce on that road. 10 eN-
pre.- in terms of these ton-miles
tho freight traffic on the road, and
finally the total cost 90 the COM
munitt served by the road Of hauling
|it. goods 90 market Armed win
these data. 90 g. easy 10 decide how
much none, can be profitaDly spent
In improying the road. and what are
the returns that The investment
Yields f0 tle community
These returns are ~ variois