Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, Ga.) 1921-1964, 1925-11-05
WATCH RURAL ROADS
Babson Says-Business 1l% Above
Normal According to His
Latest Estimate.

Babson Park, Mass.-Sometime
ago, we yentured in this column, to
expires our opinion that whatever
may or may not happen to Florida
values during the next few years, 1t
is quite evident that the movement
which has started in Florida will
spread to a large number of other
states.
We suggested, too, that people liv-
ing farming communities throughout
the country should watch local land
values more closely now.
Present sustained volume OF con-
struction nearly everywhere, only
pose to strengthen our belief.
Now much Of this construction
land proposed construction) is IN
the making of new land making over
of old) roads. For good roads (prop-
erlv financed) are absolutely essen
tial to the permanent prosperity ana
growt hof any live community today
We live pretty much on wheels, yo"
know! And it has ben demonstrated
that loaded trucks can average III
ton-miles more per gallon OF gasoline
on good asphalt or concrete ROADS
than on those whit an average gravel
surface.
Furtbermore-wea are not much in
terested yet in the construction OIL
new and better highways-in the AR!
They must be on solid ground-on
land! And the fixing over OF old
roads--and the building of new ones
means that somebody's land must
benefit.
We do not want an orgy of land
speculation floating all over the U.
S. But we would all of us-city and
country folks-be very folish if we
shut our eyes to the financial bene-
fits that are certain to be deprived
during the next few years by many
people and towns-country as well
as city--if the present program for
more and better roads is carried out.
For one thing, rural roads must have
bridges, and every bridge must have
two ends. Land at those ends fire.
quently become worth more. Amy
farmer-as we'll as any city man
knows the value of either house or
land along the best travelled highways
to town.
What are probable road develop
ments in your own vicinity?
A distinct rise in price of hay has
already ben made since last June,
and available supply over next few
months should work against any
climbing market. Production of all
hay on October has been estimated
at about s8, 100000 tons. This is far
below average.
Farm implement industry has
maintained average rate of activity
for year to date of about rs per cent
above last year. Middle West sales
should hold up well, but business in
sections of South where drought was
hurt, win fall off short.
Upward tendency in livestock is
strongly supported by sharp decrease
number of livestock on farms both
in Canada and United States. The
seasonal price decline later later on
should not prove severe.
Export trade in wheat and rye has
slumped as compared with the figures
a year ago at this time. The foreign
farmer is proving much sitter
competitor now, at least in his own
country.
Grain prices can show stock mar
ket prices thing or two-after all!
The moved rapidly last fall and win
ter to peak In February-an advance
i'm one year of 80 per cent. Then this
wa sfollowed by a rapid decline of
about 81 per cent.
For first time in several years,
cattle and hog prices are now more
profitable than corn. This means
increased demand for feeding pur-
Is. Corn quotations are now on
1t 80 per cent above per-war
Rpring next month or so
hts shouId hold market