The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1916-12-06
EFFECT OF IMPROVED ROADS ON
FARM VALUES

/ ETNW NNHO|N
To determine as far as possible the
i xact dollars and cents effect on a
n ounsv OF the improvement OF bad
A Dads. specialists of the office OF pub
4 lc roads and rural engineering OF the
n. S. department OF agriculture made
economic surveys In s counties IN
zach of the years from 1910 TO 1915,
Inclusive. says a department bulletin
This study OF the increase in the
alues Of farm lands in the eight conn'
les reveals the rather interesting fact
hat following the improvement OF the
main market roads the increase IN the
elling price Of tillable farm lands
erved by the roads has amounted to
rom one to three times the total cost
u the improvements. The Increase in
alues in those instances which we're
ecorded ranged from 63 per cent TO
% per cent in Spotsylvania county
ya.: from 6S TO 1874 in Dinwiddie coun-
". va; 70 to so IN Lee county, Va;
s to 100 in Wise county, Va; 9 to ia
In Franklin county, ~ X; 80 TO 100
|n Dallas county Ala. 25 to go in Lau-
lerdale county, Miss; and from 80 to
90 in Manatee county, Fla. The esti-
mates OF increase we're based for the
most part upon the territory within a
Instance OF one mile on each side OF
he roads improved.
In Spotsylvania county careful
record was made in 1910 Of 35 farms
ocated on the road selected for. inn
hrovement. OF the seven farms sold
''n 1912, the prices actually paid show
increases of from 81 to ZIG per cent
aver the 1910 valuation The average
y aiue after the roads were improved
vas s2S.26 per acre as compared with
|s17.3I previous to the Improvement,
IN 1913, four transfers Of farm land
we're on the basis Of $s01l per acre,
whereas the properties were listed in
$40 at only $3.50 per acre. II ap-
,cars that ,45l acres sold IN 1914 in
reased in value $2S,50O, or so per
fent. or from S24.46 TO $441O per acre,
In Dinwidde county, Va, the actual
Srice Of 4s farms sold or offered for
sale from 1909 to 1914 ranged in price
from 1888 to $43.74 per acre before
he roads were built, and from s24.70
d s73. 60 per acre after the roads were
improved.
In Lee county, Va, study OF eight
sracts along the roads before and af
err improvement indicated that these
properties increased about S23 per
acre, or about 70 per cent.
In Wise county, Va, study OF
dght representative farms located on
oads showed that they increased in
falue from an average of $49.06 per
Acre before improvement to $79.44 az
.er the roads were improved There
we're increases In valuation in other
sections Of from $50 to 500, or even
800 per acre.
In Franklin county, N. T., the fig
ires seem to indicate that the change
rom earth. sandy, and loan roads to
oituminous macadam was followed by
increases averaging $3.50 per acre,
Dr. about 307 per cent
In Dallas county, Ala, careful in
vestigation seemed to indicate that
road Improvement added at least IS
70 each acre Of land within half mile
Of improved roads Tracts sold al
from IS to $40 per acre were sold
again after road improvement at from
800 to s25 per acre.
In Lauderdale county, Miss, the to
tai assessed valuation Of real property
outside of the city was S2.757,546. This
Increased in 1914 after road improve
ment to SS,lS3,S09. or 1914 per cent
Local real estate men place the in
crease in land values on account Of
improved roads at from % 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 l5 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 S6l1,OOO, or more
than twice the value of the bonds is
sued