The Mankato free press., 1916-12-01
Increase In Values Is Noted In
Many Instances
FIGURES ARE GATHERED
Improved Highways Have In
creased the Acreage Over
Hundred Per Cent
[Special to The Free Press.l

from Tuesdays Daily.
Washington, d. c., November 2S.-To
determine as far as possible the exact
dollars and cents effect on county of
the Improvement of bad roads, special
lists Of the office of public roads and
rural engineering of the United States
department of agriculture made eco
nomic surveys in eight counties in each
Of the years from 1910 to 1915, in
elusive.
This study of the increase in the
values of the farm lands III the eight
counties reveals the rather interesting
fact that following the Improvement of
the main market roads the increase in
the selling price of tillable farm lands
served by the roads has amounted to
| from one to three times the total cost
| of the improvements. The increase in
| values in those instances which were
! recorded ranged from 63 per cent to
| so per cent in Spotsylvania county, Va;
! from 68 to 194 in Dinwiddie county, Va;
20 to so in Lee county, Va; 25 to 100
lin county, n. Y; 80 to 100 in Dallas
county, Ala; 25 to so in Lauderdale
county, Miss; and from 80 to 100 in
Manatee county, Fla. The estimates
of increase were based for the most
part upon the territory within a dis
tance of one mile on each side of the
lOauS improved.
In Spotsylvania county careful rec
ord made in 1910 of thirty-five
| farms located on the road selected for
Improvement, OK the seven, farms
sold in 1912, the prices actually paid
show increases of from 81 to 116 per
cent over the 1910 valuation. The aver
age value after the roads We're i'm
pf4Heds s vas s $aG per acre &c bs as
ment. In 1913, four transfers of farm
| land Were on the basis of $30.11 per
acre, whereas the properties We're
| listed in 1910 at only $l3.S9 per acre
1t appears that 1,451 acres sold in 1914
! increased in value $2S,5OO, or so per
cent or from $24.46 to $44.1O per acre.
In Dinwiddie county, Va, the actual
offered for sale from 1909 to 1914
ranged in price from SS.33 to $43.74
per acre before the roads were built,
and from $24.70 to $3.50 per acre after
the roads We're improved.
| In Lee county, Va study of eight
tracts along the roads before and after
Improvement indicated that these
! properties increased about $23 per
acre, or about 20 per cent.
| In Wise county, Va, a study Of
| eight representative farms located on
| roads showed that they increased in
value from an average of $49.O6 per
| acre before improvement to $79.44
after the roads were improved. There
were increases in valuation in other
sections of from $50 to $50, or even
| 500 per acre.
| In Franklin county, N. Y, the figures
seem to indicate that the change from
earth, sandy, and loam roads to bi-
! luminous macadam was followed by
increases averaging $3.50 per acre, or
about 3O.7 per cent
In Dallas county, Ala, careful in
| vestigation seemed to indicate that
road Improvement has added at least
! $5 to each acre of land within a half
mile of improved roads. Tracts sold
at from $S to $40 per acre were sold
again after road improvement at from
500 to $25 per acre.
In Lauderdaye county, Miss, the to-
! tai assessed valuation of real property
outside of the city was $2757,546. This
/ increased in 1914 after road improve
ment to $3,1S3,S09 or 154 per cent
| Local real estate men place the in
! crease in land values on account of
improved roads at from 25 to so per
! cent.
In Manatee county, Fla. careful
study of sales and real estate records
indicated that the Improvement of
roads has added from Is to 100 per
| cent, or at least SIS per acre, to the
| selling price of all lands within one
| half mile of improved roads This
| would give a total of Sell 900, or more
than twice the value of the bonds is
| sued.