The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1920-03-18
GOOD ROADS LUNCHEON


con of the Chamber of Commerce last
Tuesday, which meeting was given
over to the discussion of good roads,
better. roads and information concern
ing the roads of Ellis County ard
how to. make better roads throughout
the County.
One Of the pleasing features of the
luncheon was the manner in which
the Ladies of the Lutheran Church,
who served it, made it significant of
st. Patrick's day. The tables were
daintily decorated with shamrocks,
and the color scheme of greer and
white was carried out in the table
decorations, ir the caps worn by the
mattresses and even in the green and
white cake and ice cream which was
served
A good many farmers were pres
ent and took part in the discussion.
An invitation had been extended to
the trustees of the townships, several
of whom were present.
President Maxwell turned the
meeting over to Mr.. Bird as Chair
man of the Good Roads Committee,
who opened the discussion by calling
attention to the program that the
State outlines for its road system, but
also remarked that the important
business of the hour was the discus
sion of Ellis County roads, the kird
of roads that the farmers and bust
ness people of the county want, and
the best and quickest way of getting
them. He remarked that in the past,
there had been a disposition on the
part of the city and the country to
regard their road interests as separ-
ate. That the farmer had too often
thought of the activity of the city
man for better raods, as being ir-
fluenced only by a desire to have a
good place to run his automobile, but
that that feeling had passed away.
Nearly all of US have automobiles,
and those who haven't will soon be
getting them. He mentioned that a
great many of the farmers are mar
keting their crops by means of trucks
and more of them will be doing it
each succeeding season. He also call
ed attention to the fact, that the
farmer who figures a little, can see
at glance that money spent in build
ing roads, if spent properly and wise
ly, pays bigger dividend than any
other money spent for taxes. For
instance, he said, if by having better
roads between his place and town,
Derry Gosser can add ten bushels to
his 50-bushel load, or 20 bushels to
his 80-bushel load, he makes the trip
with the same wagon, the same horse
power and the same driver, and in
marketing a thousand bushels, he
saves at least three days of time Mr..
Blender stated that mans time on
the farm now is worth nearly SO per
day, that is, a man with team, wagon
and harness. But Mr.. Bird said, fig
urirg it at only $500 per day, there
is SIS saved. Mr.. Tholen tells us
that the tax for roads in this county is
one mill, therefore the farmer who is
in township that pays 10 mills of
total taxation, pays $1.00 out of
every ten that he is taxed, to build
roads. If he is in township where
the rate is Is mills, then $1.OO out of
every SIS of his taxation is paid for
roads. The County Clerk here tells
me that the average taxes for an Ellis
County farmer are perhaps $75 to
500. Of this SIS to 500, then, per-
haps 81 to $40 goes to building roads.
Now wouldn't it be wise investment
of money for every farmer and every
business man In this county, if by
expending another $3.50 or another
SO or another SIS, every man who
markets wheat in the county would
save from two to four days time in
each thousand bushels? Or
putting it in dollars and cents, would
save from SIS to $50 per thousand?
That is worth thinking about.
Mr.. Cochran was then called upon
and emphasized the Importance of
building north and south roads. He
said, 81 am in favor of doing every
thing we can to the Golden Belt road,
but I am more in favor of building
roads north from Victoria, from Hays
ard Ellis and south from each of
these towns first. If we have good
roads leading out from these towns,
it will be an easy matter for the town
ships to construct roads from the
farmers homes to these main lines"
He also remarked, "More than one
farmer has stated to me that if our
roads leading into Hays from the
north and from the south were good,
they and their families would be glad
to come to Hays to do their shopping.
It is also fact that at least $50 car
loads of people from the north were
detained from attending a program
here last spring which meant much