The chronicle=news., 1914-07-24
What It is Costing TIE United States
to Improve it, Highways, and
What It Gets in Return.

Washington. d. e.. July 24.-Ap-
2roximately $1O6, 100000 was spept
last year on public roads in the Unit
ed States. according to statistics pre-
pared by the U. S. Department Of
Agriculture. In 1904 the total was
only $79.O00,000. 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
great measure to the principle of
state aid to counties and other local
communities. New Jersey began the
movement in 1891 when 1t passed its
State Highway Law. Massachusetts,
and Vermont followed a year later.
hut for the most part the other
States were slow to move. In 1904
only fifteen had state highway de-
partments; today there are only six
that have not. In 1913 the individ-
ual States appropriated total of
$38,755,O86 to supplement local ex-
penditures.
The value or this state aid is. how
ever. not to be measured by the fig
ures 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 $780,
493,9S5. Complete figures for 1913
are not yet available. but it is safe to
estimate the sum at approximately
$151 100000. To this must be added
some $15,OOO,0OO to represent the
value of the labor contributed in
stead OF cash in districts where this
practice prevails. Last year. there
fore, local communities contributed,
In round numlr rcs, one hundred and
sixty-six millions OF dollars, as
against appropriations from state
treasures Of $3S,755.OSS. The true
importance of this thirty-eight mil
lions lies in the fact that 1t means
expert supervision Of the expenditure
of considerable portion of the vast
sum of two hundred millions. When
each county built as 1t chose and
when it chose, the services OF trained
engineers were usually out of the
question. There was little opportun-
ity to test innovations, little advance
in the science of road-building, and
there was also difficulty in arousing
each county individually to do its
best to improve conditions within its
own limits. State aid has cham zed
all this. The best engineering skill
is available for all works Of import
ance, there is cooperation and con-
slant stimulus to further improve
ments. The money contributed by
the states does not only build more
roads. 1t makes better those that 9TH
er money builds.
At the present time there are in
the United States 2O,74f miles Of
roads improved either wholly or in
part by state aid. This is nearly
the mileage of the French routes ma
the system of great nation
al highways which is the envy of ev-
cry civilized nation. The routes
nationals are. Of course. only
small part of the total mileage of
France, where practically every road
Of Importance Is an improved road,
and France is vastly smaller coun-
try. both in area and in population
than the United States, SO that this
is not. in itself, very
to our progressiveness. 1t
shows, however. that we have at
least made beginning. OF the o.
226,S42 miles Of roads in the United
States, 2o3,774 miles. or approxim-
atcly 10 per cent, are classed as i'm
proved.
To Improve the remaining 80 per
cent may>xell seem big job. 1t is,
in fact, only made possible because
the work really pays for itself. From
gathered by the U. s. De-
partmcnt Of Agriculture. 1t is now
rcssiblc to prove not only that good
roads are profitable investment,
but to determine exactly what divi-
dends they pay. An Investigator as
signed to this problem in any given
locality first ascertains the extent OF
the territory that is tributary to any
main road. much as one might ascer-
tain the territory tributary to some
river. The next step is an accurate
of the total products of this
territory; so much grain. SO much
tobacco. SO much garden truck. ETC.,
etc. OF this quantity a certain por-
tion is consumed on the farm: the
rest is shipped over the road in ques-
tion. The whole calculation can
then be checked by Investigators at
the shipping point to which the road
leads. In general it has been found
that the two methods yield much the
same information-the total amount
Of produce hauled over the road.
Next, the length of the average haul
is calculated, the size Of the load per-
mitted by the character Of the road
and the cost of teams
and drivers figured. With these facts
before him, the Investigator is now
able to state positively the cost of