The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1916-03-16
COUNTY
and G0!1l|.L..R.I.!lI|.A||!.l!|!S'!
State Road Engineer Viii
liams Makes a Few Com
parsons.

Worthington this week, was a letter.
from State Road Engineer A. D. viii
l!ams to M. NJ. Martin. In it Mr.. VIII
liams. explained why he believed that
the People OF Lincoln district should
support The movement to raise money
lor, inc construction Of permanent
roads, put it applies Just as Strongly
20 every other district In Maroon
county which has as yet taken no ac-
4. on OH the rUao matter. IL Is, IN short,
una Of the most convincing arguments
Al favor OF go0u rOao3 app.4eu u4tecIty
10 hiarl0u cuu4ty conultlUns mat has
rot De.n ADVANCED. 4nls ietLer n t4ti
.s as lollows:
have Deloro ms your letter OF thu
nth, put OWING 20 otner uenIanus upon
my time, ia a Deen ulaDie " answer
.ll4lII tnG present t4lus:
reer.L ,.Auc y -. 4lJ4=1DAe for La
q. Do "4s4. y "a, s~~;~s,,-
/ a am sAC4o-t4Ass, s..G.s"IsE, u cAt1&-
-uu".-.e t4s -. .HSls i t.r~s- % boA.-i.
44-4A tnS tol41 4uu GAAu~. G0st vi ttl~
sanIc.' lou state tnat yvu peGp.e ar
uos4fUus u raAa4..ts lGnS44 AANnoy ~ Is
: -. /.
leGL IaYy. Iu4s 10 uUaV.utS.! 4.sAV,
but LAe great LiUuO.e 10, IL AZ .lnptGS-
LIL4DIe. because " ra4st LIe, iAAluu.4t u
IunGs necessary 70 nj eLyyu" ue44a.4u~
would require u Icyy tnut "Uu.u 10
pronlbillYe tAHu UulusA4s.Aa@ ~ jUu-
people. &&
GA the other: hhud. i! you uTas "u.
your WORK over "a iCGG ptf.oG .. ) eAt-..
the amount OF ioVer.neuu cuAHgeS VIA
be greater IN proportion Lnan yJur III
terest when you count tn ulnerence
between the value OF your JANUS ana
the improved roads.
The writer. from his boyhood, hes
been taught to AVOID pubic debt.
and to follow the prlncipl.s OF an an
nual levy. Therefore. can sympa-
thize with the person who believes
honestly in the levy, and who adyo
Gates 1t, | have inv stigated the var1-
Gus phases of road questions in West
Virginia, therefore. feel that results
convince me, should 1e gwen you TO
hand to your various feirnds.
The first reason why we should
have a bond issue to improve oEz roads
is because we need The roads now.
Second, we are paying greater
tax for bad roads at the cost OF de.
creasing production, and increasing
transportation charges. Our annual tax
as state, at the present time, due to
bad roads, Is approximately $500 psr
farm. or about S35 per capita, includ-
ing all Of the population and making
allowances for reasonable increase
over the census Of 1910. That is APP
proximately SO per month for every
man, woman and child Of the state.
Third, the next qestion Is, will we
continue to pay out this heavy tax
for which we get no returns, dep1ete
our resources at the xpense % our
own farms, and build roads in other
states?
These are questions that come home
and should be weighed carefully.
Everywhere we delay making i'm
provements on our roads we are in
creasing the direct tax on the mater
ial resources OF the state by permitting
percentage to go out Of the state
without bearing its proportionate share
OF Improvements for the state.
You have in Marion county 1883
farms. In 1910 you had 16,027 acres
Of cereals, and 1861 acres of hay and
forage. You produced an average Of 77S
bushels Of grain, and so is tons Of hay
per mile of road. .8
Jefferson county produced an aver
age Of $500 bushels of grain per mile
of road and 298 tons Of hay. per mile
OF road. The average value of land per
acre IN the state of West Virginia was
s2O.65. In Jefferson county, $685..
The average valuation Of land IN
your county was 1891. This included
your coal, oil and gas. Jefferson had
neither, but at that time Jefferson had
1884 miles Of macadam road out OF a
possible 344. Thus you can see the val
ne of good roads, by a comparison OF
West Virginia statistics.
Take the difference in amount OF
grain and tons Of hay per mile OF
road, and you will be able to capitalize
a considerable bond issue to a good
advantage, You have difference of
217 2.10 tons Of hay, figuring this at
$1,000 per ton, you have $2,17s.. You
have difference OF 2742 bushels OF
grain, figuring this worth SOC to your
farmers or county. and you have ST.
al, or total OF $3.50, This would
be the interest at per cent. on $70,-
$50, and It will not require more than
1.3 Of this amount to make first
class permanent road throughout. your
county. Therefore, the interest would
be, on $4,000, $1,150, or in round
numbers you could pay the interest
ard retire the principal Of the cost
of your road in 10 YEARS, using only
the capital made possible through the
loss you now sustain, by reason Of
lack OF transportation.
The preponderance OF evidence in.
the case OF comparison Of Jefferson
and Marion counties, by reason OF good
roads and improved farms, Jefferson
county Is growing weather, while
Marion county, by reason of lack Of
roads, which prohibits her farmers
from accomplishing what they should,
Is each year converting her resources
into cash and expanding ART OF
this for materials you should produce
at home: LIZ,
Trusting this information will be OF
service to you, and with best personal
wishes, am
Z Yours very truly,
State Road Bureau. NJ
& "A. D.fWILLTAMS. ,