The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1920-03-11
j. E. Kaulfuss Gives State En-
gineering Society Some Idea
of the Proposition His De-
partment is Up Against-In-
teresting Statistics Quoted

Grand Forks. n. d., March 1.-THE
right of way in North Dakota high
ways constitutes One-ninetieth OF the
states entire area, equals Loo aver
age farms, and at $25 per acre would
he worth $14,0OO,OOO If sown TO
wheat with . resultant crop Of IA
bushels to the acre, the crop Wou)'l
be worth $16.3SO.OOO. at going price.
said Assistant state Engineer J. F..
Kaulfuss today to the North Dakota
Society of Engineers, in annual conven-
tiOn here.
There are in North Dakota approx
imately, 10000 miles Of public. high
ways" said Mr.. Kaulfuss. "All Of
these are in a more or less improved
conditiOn-gen less. Seventy
thousand miles Of public highways is
equivalent practically to one mile of
road for each square mile Of area.
The population of North Dakota is
believed to be about 100000, or abou.
ten persons to each square mile OF
area, With this ratio or population
to area or road mileage, it is at once
evident that the road problem in North
Dakota has been and will be serious
one until the population is greatly
increased.
THRICE CIRLCES EARTH ..
Seventy thousand miles of public
highway is about three percent or one
-thirtieth Of the entire road mileage
in the United states. 1t is nearly equal
to three times the circumference Of
the earth.> In area the public highways
Of the state comprise some 800 WH'
acres, or S75 square miles. OF II IL
townships, or over yone-half, Of an ave"-
age county. In area this mileage IS
equal to Sargent or Renville county.
larger than either Eddy. Foster,
Griggs, Ransom. Oliver, Steele or
Traill. equal to one-half Of Cass, Or
one-third Of Mckenzie
{ HAVE SOME AUTOMOBILES
Having heayed these heavy statis-
tics of his chest. Engineer kaulfuss
took a long breath and turned to- au-
tomobiles..
North Dakota ranks no less than
eighth in the states Of the union as to
the number OF automobiles per capi-
ia. With over $4,000 cars registered
i'm 1919. there appears to be one auto
for every nine Inhabitants. The value
OF these cars is not less than $40.
100000. The cost of operating these
cars is not less than $1O.OOO.WO an
nually. Assuming that the average
car travels 5000 miles annually. the.
number Of miles Travelled by auto-
mobiles is 2OOOOO.OOO yearly.
HEAVY TONNAGE HAULED
THE total annual tonnage hauled on
North Dakota roads Mr.. Kaulfuss
proceeded. sis 5OO0.0OO. which 'witn
an, average haul Of six miles produces
a traffic Of 3O.OOO.OOO ton-miles. The
cost per ton mile in the state. is not
less than 20 cents. which gives the
cost of hauling $9.OOOOOO annually
A saving of one cent per t0n-mile (the
average cost per ton-mile for the
United, States being % cents) wouli
produce al economy of $3OO.ONO an
nually to the state.
ONLY s43 PER MILE SPENT
1.-THE annual combined township anG
county bridge and road levies is now
about S3.OOO,OOO. While North Dakota
possesses about one-thirtieth Of the
mileage in the entire union. it expends
but LOO. Of the total invested eacn
year in roads and bridges in the
United States. Three million a year
on 10000 miles results in a magnifi-
cent annual road and bridge fund for
construction and maintenance of $4;'
per mile: y
$25,OOO.OOO IN TEN YEARS ~,
During the last ten years ther"
have l,aen expended by towns and
counties on road and bridges no less
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