The Farmington times., 1916-05-12
The Attitude of the Farmer Toward
Public Roads

Public Roads
Farm life can be made more attrac-
tive. No matter how fertile the land
or how favorable its topography and
climate, if the farmer and his family
are imprisoned for six months Of each
year by bad roads, he is not getting
very much out of farm life. He can
not easily reach his neighbors, his
school, his church or his town.
The profit of the farmer is repre-
sented by the difference between the
cost of production plus transportation
and the selling price. If he can re-
duce the cost of transportation by
$3.50, 100000, the farmer would be cas-
lily benefited by one-half of this
granting that the city inhabitants
would benefit by the other half of the
saving.
We complain of the high cost OF
living, but do not sufficiently analyze
the high cost.
The consumer is equally interested
in good roads and consequently cheap
er transportation as is the farmer,
He should be as equally interested in
them as he is interested in freight
transportation and the rates incident
thereto.
If the farmer has good roads he
can haul three tons where he hauled
one before. He can haul three miles
as cheaply as he hauled one before.
The man Is miles from town can haul
his produce as cheaply as the one who
lives out five miles formerly could. He
will be able to market produce that
before would not pay it's way He
would be able to market every day in
the year where now he can only mar
ket about seven months out of twelve,
and therefore would have a steady
market throughout the year, whereas,
by muddy roads he may be prevented
from hauling several months in the
year. The time of hauling his heav-
ier farm produce will not be deter
mined by the condition of the roads.
but by the condition of the market.
There are farmers in this county who
| because of bad roads could not haul
their wheat and were forced to take
80 cents bushel less when the roads
became good.
If our roads were uniformly i'm
proved, traffic would not be congest-
ed at one season and very limited at
another because the hauling would
be distributed more evenly through
out the year. The railroads could
therefore maintain more regular
service with less equipment, fewer
employees and lower cost of operation.
This means cheaper freight rates for
all people and consequently lower cost
of living. The farmers could do their
hauling when the fields were in no con-
dition to work, whereas now, by the
time the roads are in condition, the
fields are also ready, making farm
work very congested at certain times
Of the year.
These results suggested in favor of
good roads would no doubt be multi
piled several times because it would
make possible the operation of a gas
oline truck at all seasons of the year,
We have not taken into account the
we2l aii3 tear on teams due to bad
roads, the destruction of wagons and
vehicles, the danger to life and limb
Road building is the most impor-
tant factor of all in making the farm
more desirable to the people, in max
ing the farm more attractive, in max
ing it more remunerative, ar giving
to it those elements which are neces-
sary and essential to peace of mind
and to the prosperity and happiness of
the farmer.