The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1916-11-09
EFFECT or GOOD ROADS.

10 1sNfl UNIV ~ itN " i'iTNiFi' ~
exact dollars aud cents effect on .
! county OF the improvement az bad
road DIS. specialists q the office of pub
u, roads and rural engineering Of the
department made economic surveys IN
eiRht counties In each Of tho years
from 1910 To- 1915. inclusive.
This study of tn" increase In the
values OF farm. lands IN the eight
counties reveals b rather interesting
fact that following the Improvement
at the main market roads the increase
IN tho selling price Of tillable farm
lands served by the roads has amount.
"a 10 nom ~ to three times the total
cost of the improvements. The increase
IA values In those instances which
were recorded ranged from SO per
cent 10 30 per cent IN Spotsville Coun.
~. Va from - To- i9i In Dinuiddie
county Va "a to so in Lee county.
Va; - g 100 In Wise county. Va.
. to IA ia Franklin county \. Y. 50
W W" Nv ptitdN ''uiNS' Alhss - w Nv
IN laudcrdalc county. Mise and from
90 to 100 IA Munntcc county, Fla. The
estimates 81 Increase were based fui
thc most part upon the territory With
In a distance, OF I mile on each side of
the roads improved
In Spo,syivanio- county a careful
record was made ~ 1910 II 30 farms
located on the ruad selected tor inn
proyemont OF the I farms sold IN
l9l2 the prices actually paid show
increase oi from 81 to li6 per cent
yer the 1910 valuation. The average
value after the roads whe improved
WAS ssN..b per acre, ~ compared with
ti,3I previous 10 the Improvement
In 1913 -four transfers of farm land
were ou the basis Of f30ll per are.
whereas the properties were listed n
latu At only slS.S9 per acre. 1t nl.
pears that the l.ItI acres sold ~ l1iI
increased IN value SIS. 500. or 80 per
cent, OF from s24i6 to Sitl0 pc,
acre.
In binw!ddie county. Va. the actual
price 4 g. farms sold or offered Tor
sale from 1903 To lsl, ranged IN
price from ss.3S to ti3.1i pei aero
before the roads were built. aud from
tei 30 to- $3.50 per acre after h
.rouds were improved.
In Lee county, Va, a study OF eight
tracts along the roads before and after
improvement indicated that these
Properties increased about s23 per
acre, or about 20 per cent.
In Wise county, Va. n study OF eight
representative farms located on rolds
showed that they increased In value
from an average of &ty.06 per acre
before improvement TO tTstt after
the roads were improved There were
increases In valuation In other sections
of from $50 To $50 or even 800 per
acre.
In Franklin county. y. Y. the fig-
ures seem 10 Indicate that the chang
from earth. sandy, and loan roads to
bi,uminous macadam was followed hy
increases averaging $3.50 per acre.
or about 500 per cent.
In Dallas county, Ala. careful In
~ycstlgation seemed to indicate that
road Improvement has added ~ least
s. TO each acre Of land Wi,hin a half
mile OF improved roads. Tracts sold
al from s. To $40 per acre were sold
again after road improvement at
from $50 to sos per acre.
In Iauderdaic county. Miss. tho
total assessed valuation Of real prop
erty outside of the city WAS t2,757,5i6.
This increased in 1914 after road i'm
provcmcnt to SASS. SOC. OF l5i per
cent. Local rcai-estate men place the
Increase IN land values on recount of
improved roads at from % 10 50 per
cent.
In Manatec county, Fla, careful
study of sales u rcal-cs,ato records
i indicated that the Improvement Of
roads has added from Is to 100 per
cent, or a. least 1l5 per acre, To- the
I%seliug price CT an lands within pc
half mile Of improved roads This
would gNc a total @ ;6il.oov or
more than twice the value Of th
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