Mexico weekly ledger., 1919-08-28

farmer with his small proportion of the road improvement cost
One county in the South spent 100000 IN building permanent
roads. and within two years after the road improvement began
the enlarged tonnage over the roads in agricultural and forest
products increased by As per cent. The dairy and poultry product
showed an increase of practically 14O per cent. Careful inveStiga-
hauling over improved roads showed a yearly profit of $4,000, or
more than Al per en- Of the entire cost q road lmnrovement
The United States Department of Agriculture estimate that
the farmers OF the United States are losing annually $25O,On0OOO
on account OF the inaccessibihty of their products at certain times
of the year, due to bad road conditions.
1t is a matter of common observation that when any CON.
munity passes from a condition dominated by bad roads to one
characterized by good roads, land values in that communit2 ad-
vance. Prior to any road improvement in one county Of ALABAMA,
the average price of land was from six to fifteen dollars per acre.
After twenty four per cent OF their roads were improved the value
of land Increased to fifteen and twenty dollars per acre.
The unt:sd States Department of Public Roads refers to a
farm in Virginia of one hundred acres which offered for sale At
$500. Later, the road upon which the farm was located. was i'm
proved, and, although the farmer fought the road improvement, he
has since refused $4,000 for the farm.
Another .ract of 1870 acres along the same road was suppos-
ed to have been sold for $4,000. The purchaser refused a contract
later. After 'e road improvement, and without any improvement
upon the land, he paid 500 for the same tract. 1t is true that road
improvement will not improve the fertility or quality Of the farm,
but it is also rue that good roads will improve the sight value in
its relation to market. schools end towns
Experts have found that isanity is a social condition with a
distinct relation to good roads. Two states were recently astounded
by a report Of an investigation made, within their precincts, IS to
the cause of insanity. In both states, the road condition were miser-
able, and it was found that a large percentage Of the insane were
wives and daughters of the farmers where there was little or no
opportunity for social ntercommuntcation, but whose lives We're
of monotony ard consequences, due to isolation on account of mis-
cradle road conditions. Poor roads mean iliteracy OF worse.
OF our 2 100000 miles of highway, less tina 100000 are improv-
ed. and these only partly so. 1t costs our farmers more to haul
load of wheat ten miles to the railroad than to ship it from New
York to Liverpool. National highways 10000 miles long at the
high figude If 100000 a mile would cost a billion dollars, but the
annual saving would be over ~$5OOOOOOO, or only twenty years for
such savings 10 pay for them.
The bad roads of America constitute the most stupeadous
wastefulness - the most wasteful people on the globe.
The automobile and motor truck have come to stay and we
INST keen nace with them. The motor vehicle has conclusively
proven itself to be not primarily a rich mans paything, but an
actual economic necessity to our present day needs of transpoTta-
tion, and we must, therefore, bring our road bed up to the same
degree or perfection as our improved rolling stock,
1t is impossible at the present time to place an upper limit to
the future usefulness of the motor vehicle for any purpose, 1t Is
certain, however, that it is only in the first stage of its develop.
ment and that the future will see it adapted to a Hmitless num-
Der of uses, particularly in the rural districts. Even now, farmers
all over the country are employing the motor truck in dairy farm
ing, and thus greatly enlGrging the areas in which such farming
is profitable. The same has become true of all other farm proaucts,
and thus we see. with the increased distances which are probably
Travelled by the motor vehicles, how our main routes of travel are
becoming so important.
Many of the arguments presented above may appear to he ad-
dressed primarily to the farmer. The development of any town or
community depends upon and goes with the development OF the
land, 1t is a fact that town property increases or decreases with
land values, end business concerns in the towns certainly prosper
with the farmer. The business man can not sell his goods when the
producer is unable to market his products and get to the town to
make the pure bases. This information is directed to the land own
Ell, because all other business depends upon the prosperity % the
farmer, and our first duty is to make him prosperous. In fact tt
does not appear necessary to present any argument whatever to
the dealer in order to get his support to a good roads issue.
Audrain County has an efficient County Court, and they have
assured your committee that they will proceed with the immediat"
construction of hard surfaced roads as soon as the voters ut Au'
drain County order them to secure sufficient funds to get the state
and Federal ed. This Court is ready and willing to safeguard any
money placed under their jurisdiction, and are only too anxious
to serve the voters who placed them in charge of the business OF
the County in any enterprise that seems for the best interest Of all
concerned.
The Audrain County Chamber of Commerce maintains an In
80. E:an - l. ,o1oot;o oil ovoi1o6lo facts, od
figures for the benefit Of all the voters of the County. They also
maintain a Speakers Bureau and will send to any town, commun-
itv. or school district in the County at any time men sufficiently
informed to give them any information on the constructor u hard
surfaced roads and a bond issue, whenever they may desire such
assistance. For any information that you may desire, please call
nv phone or write to Mr.. E. S. Wilson, Secretary Audrafn County
Chamber of Commerce, and Secretary to Publicity and Information
Committee of this association.