South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1916-12-10
GROWTH FOLLOWS
BETTER ROADS
School Attendance Increases,
Social and Business Con-
ditionS Improved.

A Is percent increase in the pro-
portion of the available children at
tending schools TOOK place follow
ing the construction of good roads in
eight counties studied by the Office
of public roads and rural engineer
ing of the department il is shown in
a recent publication Of the Office,
department bulletin No. 393. The
improvement in roads was followed
also in several Of the counties, the
report shows, by consolidation OF
number of the little one-roOm
schools into graded schools. which
give the pupils better educational
advantages; by a development of
various industries; and by social
improvements due TO easier inter
course. These improvements are
related closely TO increases in land
values and decreases in hauling
costs, effects also traced to the con-
structiOn of improved roads. The
studies were made in Spottsylvania,
Dinwiddie Lee and Wise counties,
Va; Franklin county. y. Y; Dallas
county, Ala; L.auderdale county,
Miss. and Manatee county, Fla.
In Spottsylvania county. Va, the
average daily school attendance in
creased from 81 percent OF the en-
rollment before the roads were i'm
proved TO II percent after. Several
small schools were consolidated.
Between 1909, the year preceding
the building OF good roads, and 1913,
the year following their completion.
the shipment of forest products, the
principal products OF the county.
increased more than rs percent. The
increase during this period in the
poultry business in the county was
n percent, and in dairying 10 per-
cent
In Dinwiddie count, Va, the av-
erage daily attendance for children
for Is schools on the improved
roads was 63.4 percent of the en-
rollment in 1878, while the av-
erage attendance for all other
schools in the county was SO per-
cent. Several school consultations
have been effected, larger school
buildings have been constructed and
pupils have been transported to
school at the expense of the educa-
tional system since the road i'm
provements were made. Truck
gardening and dairying, which were
profitable only within three miles Of
the principal market town OF the
county before the road improve
ment. are now carried on profitably
within a seven-mile radius.
In Lee county. Va, a considerable
industry has been built up follow
ing the road improvements in the
shipment OF tan bark. extract wood,
and pulp wood, products which
could not be profitably hauled over
the unimproved roads. The i'm
proved highway system has attract
ed buyers of farm products who
travel from farm to farm and fur
nish a new cash market for the
farmers. There has been a % per
cent increase in buggies sold by a
county vehicle factory.
In Wise county, Va. social condi-
tons have been bettered since the
good roads were constructed, many
farmers along the improved high
ways having built new homes or i'm
proved old ones. adding sanitary
conveniences School attendance
has increased materially. but since
compulsory attendance regulations
went into effect about the time the
improved roads were completed, the
influence of the two factors could
not be determined separately. Sew
eral school consultations have been
made.