Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1915-10-15
STILL IN The
LAND OF MUD
Small Percentage of Improved
Roads In the United States.
GREAT LOSSES TO FARMERS

Only Improve the Economic Condi-
tons Therein, but the Social Condi-
tiens as WeIl-They Materially Az
feet the Spread of Education.
A little booklet written by S. NJ. VIII
liams of Lima, o., points out the eco
nomic and social influences exerted by
both good and bad roads.
THE public is gradually awakening
to the Importance Of permanent road
construction" states Mr.. Williams in
his booklet But with only 10 per
cent Of the public roads in the United
States improved and many states with
less than per cent Of improved roads
we are still in the land of mud. Many
sections of the country are opposing
road improvement because Of a lack of
understanding of it's value to their
own communities
I'm rural communities one day in a
week was set aside from farm duties
for going to town. The farmer was
satisfied to drive through the mud and
over the rough roads. Unfortunately
In many sections they continue to be
satisfied with such road conditions, but
in other sections the farmer knows
better. He Is demanding the same ad-
vantages enjoyed by his competitors In
i,,1 A<, h.
Of good roads.
in one county Of Tennessee, before
road improvement began, one bale of
cotton was an average load for two
horse team. There are now 100 miles
Of improved roads in that county, and
twelve bales is not an uncommon load,
thereby increasing the earning ability
Of the team for the farmer twelve
times.
In another county of Tennessee the
cost of delivering wheat from farm to
railroad, distance of ten miles, was
reduced from 10 to cents per bushel
after their roads were improved.
Careful investigation and cOmpari-
son in the showing Of the farmers and
other teams before and after road i'm
prOvement disclose some remarkable
results, in one case an increase of $50
and another of 233 per cent. Compare
and consider this profit for the farmer
with his small proportion of the road
improvement cost.
The United States department of
agriculture estimates that the farmers
Of the United States are losing annual
ly $250,000OO0 on account of the mac
feasibility Of their products at certain
times of the year, due to bad road con-
ditions. "'
Investigation shows that there are
many counties rich in agricultural
products, but burdened with bad roads,
where the annual incoming shipments
greatly exceed the outgoing. With i'm
proved roads such counties could not
only be self supporting, but could ship
products to other markets.
I'VE who live in towns often fail to
realize the influence Of road conditions
upon the social life of rural commune
ties. 1t is only fair to say that the Ma
tional Congress of Mothers and Parent
Teachers association, with its branch
es in forty states Of the Union, is WELD
Ing powerful influence for good roads.
They believe that the wife of the farm
er of moderate means, who rises at 4
to 5 in the morning, does her own cook
ing, washing, ironing and sewing,
should be assisted in finding ways and
means for intellectual improvement in
order that she may bring up her family
of boys and girls to be useful members
of society.
Experts have found that insanity Is
a social condition with distinct rela,
ton to good roads. Two states were
recently astounded by report of an
investigation made within their Dor
ders as to the causes of insanity. In
both states the road conditions were
miserable, and it was found that a
large percentage of the insane were
the wives and daughters of the farm.
ers where there was little or no op.
portunity for social intercOmmunica.
ton, but whose lives were of mOnOt
ony and loneliness, due to isolation or
account of miserable road conditions.
"Hhe building of good roads will re
lieve the isolation Of these rural dis
tricts and give the inhabitants oppor
| tunity for q large Specialization, which
will eventually result in eliminating
the unfortunate and pitiable cOndi
lions. Poor roads mean illiteracy OF
worse. In 1909 the percentage of i'm
proved roads in the New England
/ states was 222, and the percentage OF
illiteracy was only II. In the soutl
Atlantic states the percentage of i'm
proved roads was only CT and illitera
! cy -. The excess of illiteracy in rura
over urban population, due to lower
percentage of improved roads, showed
For the south Atlantic states 400 pei
cent and 40 per cent for the New
England states In both Of these com
PARSONS only native whites Of native
parentage were considered. The per
centage of illiteracy among the urbar
white population is estimated to be
only nine tenths Of 1 per cent. Rura
illiteracy among the same class of in
habitants IS 600 per cent greater an(
due to the influence of bad roads upoI
the school and social lives of the -ura
population"