The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1917-06-29

them to market on account of bad
roads. While the roads continued in
such condition, as many as ten car
loads of produce, including potatoes,
wheat and other supplies, were ship
ped in to feed the town.
Farm to Railroad, After Road
Improvement.
1t is a matter of common observa-
ton that where any community pass
es from a condition dominated by bad
roads to one characterized by good
roads, land values in that community
advance. Prior to any road improve
ment in one county of Alabama, the
average price of land was from $500
to $500 per acre. After "a per cent
of their roads were improved the val
ue of the land increased to $500 to
$500 per acre.
The United States Department of
Public Roads refers to a farm in Vir-
ginia of one hundred acres which was
offered for sale at $1,800.00. Later,
the road upon which the farm was To-
Gated was improved, and although the
farmer fought the road improvement,
he has since refused 100000 for the
farm.
Another tract of one hundred and
eighty acres along the same road was
supposed to have been sold for &c.
100000. The purchaser refused the
contract, but later, after the road i'm
provement and without any improve
ment upon the land, he paid 100000
for the same tract. 1t is true that
road improvement will not improve
the fertility or quality of the farm,
but it is also true that good roads
will improve the site value in it's re-
lation to markets, schools and towns.
Hard surfaced roads reduce the cost
of delivery between farm and market.
Recently a Governor of one of our
important States contended that a
team Of horses would draw more up
on a dirt road than upon a hard-sur-
faced road, when in reality team will
draw, upon a good gravel road, five
times more than through sand or
mud, and ten times more upon good
macadam.
One of the States having only four
per cent of permanent improved or
surfaced roads within its borders has
one of the best systems Of dirt roads
in the country, due in part to the ia
vorable soil in portions of the State,
and for about three-fourths of the
year, a favorable climate; also to the
interest shown by the farmers in
dragging and otherwise keeping up
the dirt roads, but Notwithstanding
these facts, this State Engineering
Department estimates it is costing
their farmers about eleven millions
per year to move their surplus pro-
duct from farm to railroad. They al
so estimate that ten per cent of the
roads carry fully seventy-fve per
cent of the total traffic.
If the ten per cent were improved,
and the cost of transportation re-
duced only one-third, it would mean
a saving of three to three and one
half million dollars-a substantial in
crease in profits to their farmers, and
Notwithstanding these facts, their
State Legislature has so far stood
against the farmers by blocking good
road legislation.
Three millions of dollars would go
a long ways toward paying for the
permanent improvement of their
heavy traffic roads.
Road improvements increase the
possibilities of the markets by increas-
ing the area from which they may
draw their supplies.
We who live in town often fail to
realize the influence of road condi-
tions upon the social life of rural
1t is only fair to say that the Ma
tional Congress of Mothers and Pa
rent Teachers Association, with its
branches in forty States of the Union,
is welding powerful influence for
good roads.
They believe that the wife of the
farmer of moderate means, who ris-
es at four to five in the morning, does
her own cooking, washing, ironing,
and sewing, should be assisted in find
ing ways and means for intellectual
in order that she may
bring up her family of boys and girls
to be useful members of society.
A farmer whose wife had recently
been committed to an asylum, in dis
cussing the matter with his physician,
said; II do not know what made my
wife go insane; she had nothing to
bother her; she has lived in a quiet
place. Why, she has not been out
Of the kithcen hardly for eight years."
Experts have found that insanity
is a social condition with distinct re-
lation to good roads. Two States
were recently astounded by a report
Of an investigation made, within their
borders, as to the cause of insanity.
In both States the road conditions
were miserable and it was found that
a large percentage of the insane were
the wives and daughters of the farm
ers where there was little or no OPP
portunity for social intercommunica-
lion, but whose lives were of monot-
ony and loneliness, due to isolation
On account of miserable road condi-
ions.
The building Of good roads will re-
icve the isolation of these rural dis
riots and give the inhabitants oppor-
unity for larger specialization, which
will eventually result in eliminating
he unfortunate and pitiable condi-
ions.