The Natchitoches enterprise., 1922-08-10
Are Good Roads Worth the
COSt7

The editor is in receipt of a
letter from j w. Fairfax. vice.
president Of the Interstate Trust
and Banking Co. of New Orleans,
stating that for fifteen years his
bank, one of the largest IN the
South, has offered gold medals for
essays on some carefully selected
topic of general public moment,
open to graduating classes in col
leges and high schools thruout
Louisiana and Mississippi.
The above subject was selected
this year because of all classes
being directly concerned, and
students of 155 educational insti.
tutions contested for the prizes,
and Mr.. Raymond Whitehead, son
of Mrs. Lynda Young Whitehead
and nephew of Mr.. Pressburg,
manager of the Natchitoches Mo
tor Co., carried off the honors lin
Natchitoches parish.
The Enterprise congratulates
this youth and his deservedly
proud family and publishes his
essay below, as it deals with a
subject so vital to the welfare and
prosperity of the South:
The problem of roads is a very
serious one as it is of vital Importance
to every citizen of the country. The
progress and standing of nation are
judged in many respects by its roads.
The world is developing into an age
of motorism, and the volume of traffic
is fast increasing Roads must be
hard surfaced to be Of commercial
valne for transportation.
The road that lasts the longest has
been proven to be the most economical
A good road may seem very expensive
in the first cost but when the main
tenance and cheap cost of operating
over these roads are taken into con-
sideration, the good roads are far
cheaper to those of an inferior type
and cheaper cost.
Good roads are not only of COM
merclal value to q country, but they
are a civic asset as we'll. When a
community has fine roads, they enable
the citizens to know each other better,
be better reighbors and thus have
better cooperation in community
and accomplish bigger and better
things. The sci hool is greatly benefited
by good roads, because so many chill
dren get the advantage of good educa-
tional facilities.
In so many of the rural communities
where only one-roorn schools with one
teacher, good roads have made it pos
siole TO consolidate many Of these
schools into one, thereby increasing
the efficiency of the school work. it
has made it possible for every boy and
girl in such communities to secure
high school training.
Good roads have made better country
churches, better clubs, made it posi-
BILE for people to reach the adjoining
towns and get the benefit of things
worth while there that adds still more
to the dividend on road investment.
BY bringing together all the people
in the country to better country
churches, bringing them together in |
various social ways, by bringing the |
of the town, the picture
show Of the adjoining town to country |
boys and girls, it makes them better |
satisfied with the country, and thereby |
keeps these talents in the rural dis |
tricts instead of driving them to towns
and cities ..D
The ways in which nation is bene-
ited in commercial way are many.
When portion of country is given
access TO up-to-date transporta ton
facilities. the value of the land is
greatly enhanced by it, thus increasing
he public revenue, so the roads pay
:or themselves.
In several localities instances can be
shown where land values have in
reased one hundred per cent and even
more by the building of model road.
t might also be noted that in some of
hese sections land was sparsely settled
'efore the roads were completed; but
'pon the completion of the roads land
which had never produced became pro-
lucing farms. paying revenues to the
'arish and building up the country in
General.
Another way in which good roads are
commercial value Is that of rushing
arm and dairy products to market.
danv products produced on the farm
nd dairy must reach Its market in a
ew hours to prevent injury and depre-
iation in value.
No one could doubt or question the
act that roads are worth their cost to
% around creamery centers or shippers
f milk from the adjoining country.
1any sections could be named whose
airy products are their. main
esources and were it not for the
nodel roads. farmers living several
liles from shipping points or cream ,
RES could not possibly market their
roducts. This may be a section where
'ithout that industry the cou 1try /;
7ould be worthless.
In the sections where perishable
ruit is raised, such as apples, peaches, I
and pears, it would be
nprofitable to strive to produce them
'ithout good roads, They must De :
laced upon the market without
ruises, which would be unavoidable
n rough roads.
Freight can be transported over
lodel roads with great saving over
nat charged by railroads. For in.
,ance, some figures gathered have
1own US that ton of wheat hauled
Y q wagon costs thirty cents per mile 6
lille the cost by motor truck was
ftoon rontc. a fnn nf CORN bo,,1od hx,