The Pickens sentinel. (Pickens, S.C.) 1911-2016, 1916-11-16
.lF1JjlB':}lZ(>
ROADS !
ROAD BUILDING A BAROMETER
Prospective Buyers of Real Estate
First Want to Know II Roads
Are Being Built.

In real estate office the other day
man from the corn belt was listening
to the agent describe the lands on his
list. lie asked about soil, crops, mar
kets ana then faced the agent squarely,
what l want to know most about
right now," said he. "is your roads.
IL you are building roads your coun-
try Is all right. If you are not, I will
look little further along"
AS but one township in the county
had worked up nerve enough to pass
$GO,O0O bond issue, he looked "a lit.
tie further along"
The would-be buyer is not the only
man who watches rOad building as u
sort of barometer indicating what n
Section is going to do, says an Okla
homa writer In Farm Progress. The
bond buyer has his eye on such com.
ihuhltleS. lie knows that they are
gong to get somewhere, for the plain
reason that they are willing to pay for
progress. He regards the road situa-
tlon as more significant than farm club
organizations or the number Of farm
erS' Institutes. He may consider that
talk Is cheap, but good roads Indicate
Willingness to spend money in order
TO get more money.
Roau bonds are counted as good
investment because the township or
the county upon which they have been
voted is going to be better and more
productive region. The section is go.
ing to develop, it is going to be worth
ana produce more and get to be worth
more every year. That makes d good
ana safe investment.
Years ago the department. Of agricul.
ture watched the results on land
values of the building of good roads
through some OF the eastern states,
particularly IN Virginia. Some of thcSt,
lands had been "worn out" it was
thought, in the production of tobacco.
Good roads, not makeshift dirt af.
1airs' were laid down and in u couple
ol years land prices climbed right up
the ladder. They were in touch with
the world, with the towns and with
the markets II months in the yenr.
ana the buyers appreciated this and
were willing to show their apprecin.
ton In cold, round dollars.
Ihat the owners, some Of whom had
1ought the roads bitterly, had a lively
appreciation Of the same thing. was
shown by the quickness with which
they raised their prices per mere ond
,he hriilhess with which they turned
down all lower offers. The roads
showed them and they were quick of
understanding.
UP In Iowa the "unearned lncre
ment' has made lot of farmers
mighty nearly rich. "Unearned inrr..
ment Is way Of describing what
happens when man buys land chean-
~ anu an increasing population makes
It worth more. 1t is something that
happens sooner or later in every com.
munity that is built UP out of the viii.
derhess' IN every town that starts to
grow and keeps growing.
GOOD roads help to ripen this "un.
earned Increment" about as fast no
anything can. or course, a man who
pays so many cents per acre over 81
term of years In order to meet tho
Interest and the principal on road
bonds Is helping somewhat toward
earning this increment" but he 10
getting by far the better end Of the
Ssai. At the most he is not going to
pay out very much money, and when
land begins to climb up by So an acre
leaps he certainly can cash in If he
cares to.
But he won't care to turn this In.
crease of value into money If he knows
the ways of wisdom. He will live bv
the side of the road. filled with q
sense of satisfaction that his estate bos
been increased in value and thnt the
good' nara highway is going to make
lt easier for him to be better farmer
and to make more money.
The passage OF good roads bono
issue is a forecast of what a com
| munity is going TO no ton ware havoc