OCR Text |
Show COOD ROADS PAY FOR THEMSELVES. A recent survey claims that the average cost of operation for all motor mo-tor vehicles in the United States has gone down to 6.43 cent3 per mile; including in-cluding insurance, depreciation, tires, fuel and maintenance. On high type roads the average is but 5.44 cents; on low type, 7.5 cents. Thus good, smooth, long-wearing pavements pay for themselves in lowered automobile operating costs. At the present, the need of good roads is especially apparent in rural districts. Trunk highways are laid out to go from city to city by the shortest possible route. As a result the majority of farmers, who it is estimated pay seven per cent of the total tax, live on unimproved, dirt roads which are totally impassable during many months of the year. Modern, yet inexpensive, hard surfaced sur-faced farm-to-market or feeder roads Rive the farmer all-yeax-'round contact con-tact with his markets and adjacent towns. They help relieve traffic congestion con-gestion on main highways and stim- ulate social and economic relations. A number of states, notably New York, have adopted rural road programs pro-grams which should be emulated throughout the nation. For every mile of main highway built, between five and fifteen miles of feeder highway high-way should be built at the same time. In this way can progress be served. |