The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1915-06-25
Information
ON MILEAGE MI [:
Facts Being Collected by the
Department Of Agriculture.
COST OF OUR HIGHWAYS.
Results of the Canvass Will Serve as
Basis For Estimating the Relative
Values Of the Different Kinds OF
Highways Throughout the Country.

Values of the Different Kinds Of
Highways Throughout the Country.
The United States department of ag-
riculture is now gathering information
which. when complete. should not only
give the total mileage of public roads
in the United States and their cost,
but should serve as a basis for esti-
mating the relative value of the differ
ent kinds of highways. Some 1900
sets Of inquiry blanks have already
been distributed through the state
highway commissions, and some OF
these are now beginning to come back
to the department. Each set consists
of four cards.
OF these the first asks for Informal
ton on the mileage of different classes
Of roads in the county to which 1t IS
sent. The mileage does not include.
Of course, streets in cities and towns.
The roads are divided into ten classes
as follows: Brick paved, concrete.
macadam. with the addition of some
substance such as asphalt, oil or tar;
plain macadam. gravel, shell, other
hard surfaced roads, sand and clay
mixture properly graded and drained,
ordinary earth roads properly con-
stlrcted and. finally, unimproved roads.
The second card asks for information
in regard to the tax rate for the roads
ana the amount Of work and money eX
! pended Oh them.
The third Blank is concerned with
the names OF local road officials and
the fourth with facts in regard to the
bond issues and the Indebtedness of
the counties for their road systems.
As there are approximately 3.GOt'
counties in the United States. in many
Of which the mileage has never even
! been estimated, it is hardly probable
| that this preliminary survey will be
exact. The department, however, viii!
| be able to detect any excessively mac
| curate report, for the road mileage per
! square mile of territory does not vary
! excessively. Except in desert or IN
developed country less than half Il
mile of public road to every square
| mile Of territory is rare, While in the
most thicllly populated rural sections
| the maximum is no more than two and
One-half OF three miles. Thus in
France there is an average for the en-
! tire country Of 1.76 to a square mile.
| In Italy, however, this has fallen to
0SG, possibly on account Of the noun
famous character of much Of the pen
! insula and of Sicily and Sardinia.
In America the average is approx
mately O.SO mile. which in view of the
fact that much of the country is sparse
Iy settled seems unduly high. An eX-
PLANTATION. however. is to be found in
the fact that in many states the law
provides that each section line shall be
4 public road. Thus. for example. there
are in the state Of Iowa alone more
than 100000 miles of legal highways,
manifestly a much larger mileage than
is required by traffic.
When the information in regard to
the existing roads which the depart
ment is now seeking is complete it is
! the intention TO continue the inquiry
year after year in order to ascertain
! the desirabiity and economy Of the
various highways. The data thus col
| lecteu should be uscfu! to road engi-
neers all over the country. ana it is
! hoped that county agents and others
| interested in Improvement Of agricul-
ture will do their best to facilitate the
collection of the desired information.