The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-09-29
STILL A BOOSTER
j. Frank Smith Aids Counties
Around Kansas City.
He Tells OF Shawnee's Highway
Construction.
MOHLER'S FIGURES QUOTED
Farmers Are Greatly Aided by
Good Roads.
Saving in Transportation Cuts
Costs of Highways.
MOHLER'S FIGURES QUOTED

J. Frank Smith. manager of the
Good Roads Association of Greater
Kansas City. is cooperating with the
counties around Kansas City in pro-
| noting the construction Of 3s5-day
roads. He has compiled some very in
teresting facts and figures about
| Shawnee county taken from J. C
Nehlers latest report, bearing on the
ability Of our people to build good
| roads and their need and opportunity
to use the roads to a big advantage.
He has sent this office the following:
Shawnee County Prosperity.
Shawnee county has Topeka mar
kets at home and is within sixty-five
| miles Of Kansas City the best ma cts
for all kinds OF farm products to be
| found west Of Chicago. Sha vince
county produced in 1918 $13.eS5,O9s
worth of livestock and farm products
Aside from what was consumed at
! home the balance was sold to outside
markets and it is safe to assume that
| fully 80 per cent of the surplus was
| delivered to Kansas City. One Of the
big problems OF the agricultural com
munities at present is to decide just
| what kind Of farm products to prb-
duce and this is determined largely
| by the nearness to markets. the de-
pendability of the crop and the profit
4 to be received. With Topeka and
Kansas City SO near the opportunity is
i
| duee crops that will yield large re-
| turns per acre from the farms but
| which require quick delivery to the
consumers. This includes dairy pro-
ducts. fruits. vegetables. livestock and
| other farm products which mean
quick growth, quick sales ard good
profits.
X. c. Markets in Reach.
Greater kansas City now has nearly
one-half million people who must be
| red by the surrounding farmers or by
food shipped a long distance. Within
the next ten years or less there will
be double the present population and
all OF the people must be fed from
outside the city limits. If the farmers
| within 100 miles OF Greater Kansas
City fail to take advantage of this
home market. than it will be fer those
| living in more distant communities to
| reap the harvest. The people of Shaw
| nee county should begin at once to
meet the demands Of this big center
| of population.
se,5OO,O0O in Automobiles.
Shawnee county now has about
$500 autos and trucks. With good
| roads. any one of these can make a
round trip to Kansas City on business
or pleasure in one day With the in
I-creasing use of trucks for marketing
| live stock and farm products and the
| delivery of merchandise from factory
| and 1obber to the country merchants
| there is now a great need for paved
highways. This need will grow
greater very fast as the trucks and
| autos increase. This number is in
creasing very fast and will mean a
| motor car on every farm and to most
of the city homes. At $1,000 per car
| there is S6,500,000 invested in autos
in shawnee county. These car own
ers are paying out directly for gas,
| tires. repairs and upkeep about 1850
per year. and with an average of
5000 depreciation It means that each
car owner is paying $3.50 annually to
| own and drive his car. The trucks
| will cost more than this. 1t means
that the car owners in shawnee county
are paying annually to own and drive
| their cars over dirt roads about
| 81, s25.000- If the main roads in this
| county were hard surfaced in a first
class manner this vast sum would be
| reduced at least IS per cent. or a net
saving to each car owner of s112, or g
total in the county of sT31.350. This
would he more than enough to pay the
interest on the cost Of a $4,000. 900
system of 355-day roads and retire the
bonds in twenty years
Hard Roads at Half Price
| with the possibility of moving much
of the farm produces to home as well
as the Kansas City markets every day
lgreat saving in time and s1rinkage
land loss from perishing and The many
/ other advantages. the saving in cost
to all truck and car owners, the COM
fort and service that hard roads Will
give over the average dirt road taking
into account the handicap OF mud
roads. the prosperity Of the farmers
| and the offer Of getting so per cent OF
1.-THE cost Of these roads from state Of
federal aid.-or both. is a golden op-
4 portunity to finance and build these
l365-day roads.
| Shawnee county has already made
/ a big start in permanent road build
ling and should now start a campaign
OF cooperating with all adjoipins
| counties to promote the construction
of hard surfaced roads.
Mr.. Smith says that the association
which he represents will be very GLAD
to render any assistance possible free
of charge to the people of this county
/ in helping them to determine the KIND
of roads to build. what the proba bl,
cost will be and the manner of raisins
the funds. They will assist in anl
kind of movement our people OUTLINE
Hooking to the construction of 365-dal
irOads in this part OF Kansas