White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1916-06-02
Good Roads Worth
Billions of Dollars

100000 miles of state highways,
100000 miles of town or township
roads, making an ultimate total Of
2,350,O00 miles Of good roads and
highways. 1t is claimed that the pro-
posed system would serve, directly
and indirectly, practically the entire
population of the United States, both
urban and rural, and besides the ap-
parent social, moral and educational
benefits, the economic and financial
benefits are thus summarized:
Annual increment of ten-year in
crease in land values, figured at from
SIS to S cents per acre, according to
distance from road, amounts to ST.
39S, 100000.
Saving on annual use of 100000
horses and mules on 100000 We
hicles, also on use Of 100000 BIZ
cycles, 100000 motorcycles and 2,0O0,-
900 automobiles, estimated at $780,
900, with an additional annual saving
of $7O0OO,O0O in investment in extra
animals and vehicles.
Increase of 10 per cent in freight
delivered to railroads annually from
farms and mines alone, amounting to
$1,100,000.
Saving in cost of annual transpor-
tation of 5,oOo,0OO,ooO tons of freight
over roads, $7,500,00o,000.
Thus, the annual financial benefits
of good roads everywhere" amount
to $1O,66S, 100000, while the annual
financial cost of goods roads Con
basis of 10 years to build) is esti-
mated at $2,500,00O, 900. Thus the an
nual profit to the nation will be 49,
16s, 100000 and the profit in the 10
year period, $s1 ,6sS, 100000.
While the above figures are adj
mitted to be approximations to con-
siderable extent, the association points
out that the figures have been care
fully compiled and the estimates are
reasonable. And the margins in IA
vor of good roads are more than
enough to make the conclusions de-
duced from the figures, safe ones.
1t is stated that an average Of
about $25O,0O0,OOO has been spent an
nually on the roads of the United
States for many years. Probably
twice that sum Is now nearer the
mark. Enough money has been spent
on roads in this county to give the
United States a complete system Of
good permanent roads, such as is
proposed by the National Highways
association, but these billions Of dol.
lars have, in the past, been largely
wasted through inefficient methods,
and worse, lack Of uniform sys
tenn, and the building of non-perman-
ent roads, requiring constant rebuild.
ing.
1t is also true that the building Of
local roads first and independent Of
the ultimate national system, while
perhaps a necessary Of the past, has
proved failure. Under the pro-
posed four-fold system, the national
highways will be the basis; these
national highways will also act as
state highways and as county roads
and town or township roads for the
localities through which they pass.
Their building and maintenance by
the national government will thus re-
lieve the state, county and town Of
the cost of building and maintaining
these trunk highways and give each
of them, one, two, three or more prin.
cipal highways built and maintained
free of expense to the local commu
nifty The funds of the state, county
and town can therefore be used for
other and secondary roads less costly
to build and maintain.
Some Of the national highways that
concern us most out here in the Pa
cifc Northwest are as follows:
National Parks Transcontinental
Highway-This is $500 miles long
and runs from Boston and New York
through Buffalo, Cleveland, Toledo,
Chicago, Milwaukee, the Twin Cities,
Fargo, Bismarck, Billings, Livings'
ton, Butte, Missoula, Wallace, Occur
w'Alene, Spokane and to Seattle and
Tacoma.
Sunshine Highway-This runs 2,24S
miles from the Canadian line through
Colville, Spokane, Lewiston, Grange
Vile, Boise, Twin Falls, Phoenix,
Tucson and to the Mexican line.
Pacific Highway - This Is 1,700
miles, from the Canadian line through
Bellingham, Everett, Seattle, Tacoma,
Portland, Salem, Eugene, Medford,
Sacramento, San Francisco, San Jose,
Los Angeles and to San Diego.
There is probably no one thing Of
so great Importance in the further de.
velopment and growth of the United
States as good roads. We began to
realize the necessity and value OF
better and permanent roads before
the advent Of the automobile, but the
rapid growth Of the automobile in.
dustry and travel has impaired a
great stimulus to the good roads
movement, which Is, however, OF just