The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1917-06-29
STRONG ARGUMENT
FOR IMPROVED ROADS
Presented in a Little Booklet Entitled
oads-Their Influence Upon Econ
Omic and Social Conditions"

following article appears in an at.
tractive little booklet, issued by the
Garford Motor Truck Co., of Lima
Ohio, which The Times management
considers one of the strongest argu-
ment we have seen in long time in
favor of permanent road improvement
hence we publish it in full:
The public is gradually awakening
to the Importance of permanent
road construction, but with only ter
per cent of the public roads in the
United States improved, and many
States with less than five per cent of
improved roads, we are still in the
Land of Mud. Many sections of the
country are opposing road improve
ment, because of lack of understand
ing of its value to their own communi-
ties.
There was time when towns were
satisfied with board walks and step
ping stones for street crossings.
Paved streets were not considered,
but today competition between cities
and towns demands paved streets and
walks.
In rural communities, one day in
the week was set aside from farm du-
ties for going to town. The farmer
was satisfied to drive through the
mud and over the rough roads. I'm
fortunately, in many sections, they
continue to be satisfied with such
road conditions, but in other sections,
the farmer knows better. He is de-
handing the same advantages en-
joyed by his competitors in other sec
tions, and due to the building of good
roads.
The urban population complain of
the high cost of produce. The farm
er complains of the high cost of mar
keting the products, all due to bad
road conditions, but what is accomp-
lished, or even attempted, to remedy
the trouble? Those in towns and
cities say, eve should not be required
to build roads for the farmer" and
the farmer continues to be satisfied
with the hardships Of the bad roads,
causing a very low efficiency in the
earning ability and rapid deprecia-
ton of his teams. In such communi-
ties, both the urban and the rural
population are paying many times the
cost of road improvements without
securing them.
In one county of Tennessee, before
road improvement began, one bale of
cotton was an average load for two
horse team. There are now one hun
bred miles of improved roads in that
county, and twelve bales is not an
uncommon load, thereby increasing
the earning ability Of the team for the
farmer twelve times. Some time ago
the farmers were notified by telephone
of a sudden rise of four dollars per
bale in the price of cotton. To the
farmer living upon the bad road, who
could only haul one bale, the rise in
price only meant profit of four dol
lars per load, but to the farmer living
upon the good road, it meant a prof
it Of forty-eight dollars per load, and
he was able to haul the twelve bales
the same distance in less time and
with less abuse to his team and wag
on.
In another county of Tennessee, the
cost of delivering wheat from farm
to railroad, distance of ten miles,
was reduced from fifteen to four cents
per bushel after their roads were i'm
proved.
Careful investigation and COMPARE
son in the showing of the farmers
and other teams before and after road
Improvement, disclose some reason
able results. In one case, an increase
of three hundred and eighty, and an
other, of two hundred and thirty
three per cent. Compare and consider
this profit for the farmer with his
small proportion of the road improve
ment cost.
Showing the influence of road i'm
provement upon the volume of pro-
duction and traffic, one county in the
South spent 100000 in five years in
building permanent roads, and within
two years after the road improvement
began, the annual tonnage over the
roads in agricultural and forest pro-
ducts increased about As per cent The
dairy and poultry products showed an
increase of practically lao per cent.
Careful investigation showed that the
increased tonnage and decreased cost
of hauling over the improved roads
showed a yearly profit of SAL, 900, or
more than Al per cent of the entire
cost of road improvement.
Upon one road alone, distance of
twelve miles, the expenditure for road
improvement was $4,000 and the
saving in the cost of hauling was es-
timated to be fully $4,000 per year,
or so per cent Of the total expendi-
ture.
Farm to Railroad, Before Road
Improvement.
1t is a we'll established fact that
market prices vary considerably
the year. With the unre-
liable road conditions in many Sec
tions of the United States, farmers
are forced to move their crops, not
when the market prices are most ia
vorable, but when the roads will per-
nit.
The United States Department of
agriculture estimates that the farm
RS Of the United States are losing
annually $250,000,000 on account of
he inaccessibility Of their products
It certain times of the year, due to
ad road conditions.
Investigation shows that there are