June, 1937] Land Utilization in New Hampshire 41 



$27.10. The extra costs due to families living in these locations are 

 likely to average $300 per year, and even then the services will be be- 

 low the standards which each family should enjoy. There is the ad- 

 ditional social cost in obtaining or not obtaining medical service. The 

 extra costs of public services in four to five years would be equal to the 

 value of the places. Since such places are valued largely on the timber 

 possibilities, there is no particular loss of resources if the locations are 

 vacant. The people in such places have little to do with the develop- 

 ment or maintenance of timber resources and usually are not farming. 



It is evident that the values associated with occupancy of many parts 

 of the area are not sufficient to carry the cost of the special public serv- 

 ices demanded and required by that occupancy. Society in the large 

 must carry in one form or another much of the resulting burden. This 

 in itself is not to be condemned.. Perhaps society should carry certain 

 burdens at least temporarily. The problem is one involving both the 

 best interests of society as a whole and the well-being of the individuals. 

 But we do need to face the issue frankly and realize that the occupancy 

 of scattered homes results in costs greatly disproportionate to the value 

 of the properties and the services to the individual. 



If the people are to remain in all the present locations, they should 

 have the advantage of good roads, better roads than now exist, and the 

 snow should be removed to give access to friends, medical care, markets, 

 school, and church. 



We are tending toward a public policy of adequate highway services 

 to every family in the State no matter where the individual families 

 may be. This policy is not questioned here. Questions are raised as 

 to how costly this may be ; how these costs may be distributed ; what 

 the effect will be; whether adjustments can be made locally to reduce 

 the costs. 



It is somewhat futile to attempt to allocate present road costs to cer- 

 tain definite small areas and use this as a basis of determining the sit- 

 uation because the highway services demanded and really required 

 have greatly changed in the last decade and we must think in terms of 

 these increasing demands. The rural family needs and demands a 

 good road for year-round auto travel. Thus, in all parts of the State 

 and the highlands, in particular, the removal of snow and maintenance 

 of roads for year-round auto traffic have brought new problems in pub- 

 lic finance. In the highlands where roads are difficult and the popula- 

 tion scattered, the cost of giving adequate road service is increasing 

 with the need for transportation services. Looking toward the future 

 we should recognize that the public finance problem in isolated places 

 involves better and more costly roads and not merely present inadequate 

 services. 



Another view of this difficult problem of public finance can be gained 

 by examining the situation of two towns, Dorchester and Groton. The 

 former was included in the area and all but a small village in the latter. 

 However, for this purpose the entire area in each town will be compared 

 in both instances. 



The New Hampshire town is a rather small political unit and much 

 depends in public finance problems in back areas on just how town 



