The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1921-07-08
ENTIRE NATION PAYS
TAX ON POOR ROADS

and every walk of life--the business
man and tie farmer, the miner and the
banker, the industrial worker and the
trolleyman-toll annually is taken by
tie thousands of miles of unimproved
roads in the United States.
The farmers of the fertile Middle
West share with the retail merchants
of New England the expense of these
bad highways. But helping them pay
are all other workers.
While the highways of Massachu-
sets and Rhode Island may be good
and transportation therefore may be
speedy and cheap, the wheat and the
other food products grown in the
West for the industrial regions of the
East have their average price influ-
enced by the trouble of the farmer. in
getting his crops to shipping point.
Outside of the thickly populated
districts, the retailers trade area is
determined by the condition of the
roads leading to his town. The price
manufacturer pays for raw mater
ials depends partly on the ease with
which they can be sent to him, just as
the price to the purchaser of his fin
ished product is affected by the trans
portation costs.
Particularly at the present time,
when the need for economy is in evil
dence everywhere, the demand for
good roads is rampant. As a result,
contracts are being let in every sec
ton, and in the near future many ad-
ditional miles of smooth surface, all
year round native lake asphalt nigh
ways will be available.
According to the Bureau of Crop
Estimates, U. s. Department of Ag-
riculture, eleven principal crops af-
forded $6,500,000 tons for hauling on
country roads in the yearly average of
1915 to 1919. The difference between
high and low costs of hauling, due to
poor or good condition of roads, reach
es large figure in the hauling of this
great tonnage, or a large fraction
thereof.
The report showed that Illinois is
far in the lead of states in providing
crop haulage, and its fraction of the
total for the nation is one-tenth, or
S,855,000 tons. Iowa has 6.59O,0OO
tons and Kansas somewhat more than
one-half of the Illinois tonnage haul
ed, or 4,862,000 tons. Nebraska, In
diana, Ohio and Texas follow in order,
with 4,O5O,000 for the last named state.
How large part good roads play in
determining the market price of farm
products, agriculturists in every state
are we'll aware. Many farmers, there
fore, are taking leading part in the
agitation for the extension of hard
ulfaced highways.
The residents of cities likewise are
joining in the movement with the re-
suit that this year roads to cost many
hundreds of thousands of dollars are
being placed under contract.
The resurfacing of existing high
ways by the placing of a new top
bound together with native asphalt is
gaining in popularity where old ma
cadam roads are available. Where
new road must be built asphaltic
types also are being selected, because
of their ability to stand up under all
classes of traffic and resist all kinds
CT weather. For both horse drawn
and motor vehicles they form the ideal
surface.
AS better roads are built, residents
on farms are better able to visit the
nearby towns ar cities. Consequently,
merchants of those trading centers
benefit materially, along with the
farmer.
The balance of the road building
season promises to be a busy one,
with entire accord marking the rush
ing forward of host of projects.