Show GOOD ROADS AN ARGUMENT NT IN FAVOR OF BETTER HIGHWAY facilities by J 1 C wheelon from jl garland m GI globe gisob cob how hony to obtain passable roads and highways at moderate cost is the great blem ot of all sections of the country in these lays days when the cost ot of horses and vehicles are very high tile lie cost ot of road h haulage becomes a matter of 0 great importance to every farmer lit in the lind land and it is of no less importance to the trader and business man mail in every town and liani hamlet in the county for the facilities with which the farmers reach the trade centers bear a very strong le ie lation to the volume of business busi nebS transacted in ill these days in which the careful analysis of cost cose ot of carrying on all commercial and industrial has permeated the farming business and many farmers are arc today as careful and thorough in analyzing their heir firm farni expenses as the business man is in his hig trade the lie farmer learns what his hauling costs him that a bad mud liole hole or a steep steel hill will wil I 1 determine its his load upon an all otherwise good road that money spent in reducing the cost of highway transportation 4 or 5 cents per ton mile is money well spent it is claimed that more money is spent each year on the curlent repairs of earth roads in the united states than 1 is spent on the pan panama arna canal and that the efficiency or result per dollar spent is less and we are aware that thai many persons hold that money spent on earth roads is money wasted it this idea prevails to any extent it may be due to the fact that we have all seen in our time much time and money spent on oil road repairs that appeared to be more or less of a slipshod nature let u us however take courage in the fact thit that science sc lenco that magical lever ever by which man mail today moes the industrial world lias has entered the field of road building many states have provided the office offee of oc highway engineer eug ineer under tinder whose specifications all road construction and repairs are done cornell university some few years ago began a course of studies in road work from which there are now nov several fradua graduates leq the government has taken up the work in an all experimental way and there should ie be no BO more excuse for poor road work in the future public sentiment has much to do lit in the effar efforts is to possess good roads if t sentiment is low we will continue to have bad roads it if a strong sentiment is kept alive we will soon have as good roads as we desire and public senti sentiment nien t lit in favor fanor of good roads will surely grow when we compare our roads and the cost thereof with that or of other states slates and that sentiment is fully justified in our opinion when we realize that money can now be spent upon roads in a scientific man ner that insures the hig highest bliest efficient y per dollar spent ro af am iro oro is that good roada enable ebble argi argil l loads to be hauled hailles thus deduc ng the he cost per ton mile itis also evident that tile the volume of traffic to be expected is an important element in determining the expenditure pend iture justifiable on oil load improvement our own view is that the value of good roads to the people as a whole is almost inestimable and far exceeds even the value which may be calculated as savings in haulage the average annual cost of load maintenance in 27 counties of colorado has increased from 2212 per mile in 1901 to 40 per mile in fit 1907 and his great increase in the short space of six years represents an actual diange change in public sentiment toward roads I 1 term this a great increase from the tact fact that to one who is acquainted with tile the state stale ot or colorado it is not mot necessary to remind them that a large part of the roads are so situated and under such natural conditions that almost no expense is required require for their maintenance the ground is gravely and porous and there aie miles and miles of road which require no ao expenditure upon them at all we should not bemoan the fact that we have a clay soil and that our valley roads must be principally earth roads and therefore inevitably poor roads we learn that in 97 per cent of all the actual highway mileage in the state stale ot of ill illinois was vas earth roads and these had boen been implored impi imp oved loved by a careful system of earth road maintenance until the old cry ot of poor loads has ceased to be heard during the ascal year ending in november 1908 about was scent on roads and Inid bridges in dox box elder county about of this amount was spent for six steel bridges across the ilacad river and about more of 0 this amount was spent on a steel bridge across dear bear river west cf honeyville I 1 realize that possibly some ot of this bridge expenditure pend iture may have been drawn from funds on hand at the beginning of year an may have been made on oil ahe lie coming coining years year s evenue tor for the he purpose of 0 finishing then them we nye will therefore assume in tho the absence ot of more correct data that of this bridge money does not really belong to the fiscal year of 1908 and subtracting this front from the we have hava as the sum which rightfully belongs to tile the to load ad and bridge account foi 1308 1508 there are about 1500 miles of highways known is as county roads in this county which gives us an annual rate ot of road maintenance ot of 1735 35 pir par mile and more than half 0 of that tor for malad bridges alone we realize that these were an urgent necessity and the splendid workmanship and stable character of 0 chee lhee the very highest credit upon the and judgment of our county commissioners but few if any bialac bridges will have to be built tor for several years to come and we confidently hope for and persistently urge the greater annual outlay upon our earth eaith roads loads we have hale compared our road load ex e pense with that of the average ol 01 of f 27 counties in fit colorado Coloia do and we can run inn the list of data up the seals scala until we va find that england spends from to SOO per mile annually on oil highway maintenance alone we are aie taking a state stale with a very low average cost and we find that we are aie very low down lit in comparison with wilh the lowest average of her counties our county is in fit splendid condition financially and in view of the great increase fit in the demand upon our roads loads by reason leason of the increase lit in population and the increase inci ease lit in the conage of farm faim products it would seem that 50 per mile annually expended upon our roads loads woi would 11 I 1 1 I b be c money well spent say halt half of this lil in maintenance of earth eaily roads loads all and halt half in graveling on main highways wo we mean of course that the should be done in a scientific manner it is clear to any careful observer that when au an earth load 1 is jurn Lurn and the low law place gray eiarl up the road grader and the dump wagon ii have ave then olit outlived lived their usefulness it thus becomes the work of the drag the harrow and the roller loller applied at the proper time for tile the earth roads loads and for the betterment work of graveling traction action ti engines should bo be used that can not only haul a number of loaded wagons ell cn train but can load them as well and if necessary beginning at the gravel pit and build a substantial load to the nearest highway so they can deliver the material matei ial with the greatest acm possible ible efficiency we fully appreciate tile hie fact that ne need more moie court house bouse loom that mail many departments are aie in close and inconvenient quarters cis but lit if their inconvenience multiplied many times it would not compare with the personal inconvenience and the aggregate expense entailed upon the public lit in traveling poor roads loads so let our watchword watch wod be good loads fust first and next tile die coart house |