News and Notes. 359 



"The state of New York is expending $101,000,000 to enlarge 

 the Erie canal, and $100,000,000 is the amount required to im- 

 prove the Missouri river from a point about 40 miles west of 

 Yellowstone Park to where it meets the Mississippi river, 2,547 

 miles. Then there is the projected waterway from Lake Michigan 

 to the Gulf of Mexico and scores of others necessary to cheap and 

 better transportation facilities. Millions of dollars will be saved 

 annually to the people of the United States by the completion of 

 these works. 



"The maintenance of the greatest water way in the world, com- 

 posed of the Great Lakes, on which the government of the United 

 States has expended more than $90,000,000 for harbors and con- 

 necting channels, presents an argument in favor of the scheme to 

 develop thousands of miles of territory in the Missouri and other 

 valleys. The other projects outlined in the foregoing are of 

 equal if not greater importance, and with proper backing they 

 can be carried out successfully. 



"No one questions the statement that good roads have a high 

 money value to the farmers of the nation, and it may be said 

 that this alone is sufficient to justify the cost of their construction 

 as rapidly as practicable under an efficient, economical and equit- 

 able system of highway improvement. The big points in favor 

 of this expenditure is the economy of time and force in transporta- 

 tion between farm and market, enabling the growers to take 

 advantage of fluctuations in buying and selling, as well as enhanc- 

 ing the value of real estate. 



"It is estimated that the average annual loss from poor roads 

 is 76 cents an acre, while the estimated average increase resulting 

 from improving all the public roads is $9. The losses in five years 

 would aggregate $2,432 for every section of land, or more than 

 enough to improve two miles of public highway. The necessity of 

 good roads is obvious, as it would enhance the value of each section 

 of land about $5,760, or more than double the estimated cost of 

 two miles of improved highway, which constitutes the quota for 

 640 acres of land. 



"The value of our forests was never better appreciated than 



to-day. Within the arid and semi-arid portions of the western 



states nearly 124,000,000 acres are covered with woodland, of 



value for fuel, fence posts and other purposes essential to the 



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