GOOD ROADS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume IX, Issue 740, 27 January 1915, Page 3

GOOD ROADS.

The advantages of good roads to. country districts, and, particularly, agricultural districts, 'has been demontrated by Btudies conducted by the United.States Department of Agriculture in Virginia. The Shire and Municipal Record publishes an instructive summary founded on official reports on the subject. The condition in Spotsylvania County were investigated with particular care, and the results have proved surprising. In 1909 the county voted 100,000 dollars to improve 40 miles of road. Two years after completion the roads carried 71,000 tons, instead of 49,000, the amount carried previously. In addition to this increase in quantity, the cost of handling each ton of farm produce was materially reduced, and the farmer thus enabled to produce more cheaply. Before the roads were improved, it was estimated that the cost jf hauling v»aß 20 cents a tonmile, while after the improvement the cost fell to 12 cents. The saving on the produce carried amounted to 41,000 dollars, so that the investment of 100,000 dollars returns a dividend of 40 per cent, annually. It is a pity that ratepayers so often fail to appreciate the fact that the expenditure of their money in the form of improvements often adds immediately to their profits in improved facilities for carrying on their business. There can be no doubt that the improvements carried out in Sydney in resumptions in recent years are directly responsible for much of the impetus to business which has been witnessed during that period. With a view to forming a Commonwealth body to aid the good roads movement throughout Australia, the secretary of the Good Roads Association of Victoria is corresponding with the other State associations asking it they will send representatives to an inter-State conference to be held in Melbourne in February. In view of the need for military roads, and the defence of Australia being a Federal matter, no single State association would carry much weight in advocating Federal roadways or, what might be termed national highways, while there are other matters associated with the good roads movement which should have Federal control. Hence the movement for the formation of a Federal body.