BULLETIN 393. U. 



S. DEPAETMENT OF AGEICULTURE. 



indicated by an average rate of 33.5 cents before the roads were 

 improved, as compared with 15.7 cents after the roads were improved. 

 In order to determine the net saving on a ton-mOeage basis, it is 

 necessary to deduct from the gross saving the estimated annual outlay 

 for interest and retirement of the bonds and for interest on the value 

 of aid received from the State or from any source other than the bond 

 issue. Table 1 gives not only the gross saving per ton-mile, but also 

 the net saving after taking into account the cost of the improvements 

 on this basis. It should be borne in mind that the estimated annual 

 outlay for interest and retirement of principal may not conform 

 strictly to the practice which may be followed in the respective 

 counties, as instead of levying the amount which would be mathe- 

 matically correct for the purpose, they may raise an unnecessarily 

 large amount or an utterly inadequate amount from year to year. 

 The table is based upon the amounts they should levy each year to 

 retire the bonds under the plan by which the bonds were issued. 

 The annual cost of maintenance should be considered as a partial 

 offset to the saving in hauling costs if the outlay for maintenance is 

 greater after the roads are improved than before improvement. 

 That the cost is greater after improvement can scarcely be doubted, 

 as real maintenance was scarcely in effect at aU before the roads were 

 improved. Definite cost data on maintenance of a comparative 

 value for all the counties are lacking, and are, therefore, not taken 

 into account in the table. 



Table 1. — Approximate saving in hauling costs on present tonnage basis after deducting 

 annual cost of improvements during period covered by bonds. 



[Averages are weighted.] 





Bonds 



issued. 



Value of 

 State-aid 

 contribu- 

 tions in 

 convict 

 labor. 



Estimated 

 annual 



outlay for 

 interest 



and retire- 

 ment of 

 princi- 

 pal.! 



Annual 



ton- 

 miles of 

 traffic. 



Annu- 

 al cost 

 of prin- 

 cipal 

 and in- 

 terest 

 and 

 convict- 

 labor 

 aid per 



ton- 

 mile of 

 traffic. 



Hauling cost 

 per ton-mile. 



Gross 

 saving 

 per 

 fon- 

 milfi. 



Saving 

 per ton- 

 mile 

 after de- 

 duct- 

 ing cost 

 of inter- 

 est and 

 princi- 

 pal.! 



Selected counties. 



Before 



im- 

 prove- 

 ment. 



After 

 im- 

 prove- 

 ment. 



Spotsylvania, Va . . 



Dinwiddie, Va 



Lee, Va 



2$140,000 

 105,000 

 455,000 

 960, 000 

 500,000 

 350, 000 

 500,000 

 250, 000 



$11,856.41 

 37,038.32 

 21,175.48 



$10,533.00 

 10,573.65 

 27,967.34 

 74, 330. 00 

 21,730.00 

 24, 856. 76 

 33, 466. 66 

 16, 262. 85 



921,521 

 833, 136 

 297, 180 

 200,000 

 242, 145 

 610, 000 

 255,378 

 130, 292 



$0.0114 

 .0126 

 .0941 

 .3716 

 .0897 

 .0407 

 .1310 

 .1247 



$0,300 

 .300 

 .400 

 .570 

 .303 

 .300 

 ,370 

 .450 



$0. 137 

 .150 

 .200 

 .230 

 .096 

 .150 

 .200 

 .200 



$0,163 

 .150 

 .200 

 .340 

 .207 

 .150 

 .170 

 .250 



$0. 149 



.137 



106 



Wise, Va 



032 



Franklin, N. Y 





.117 







109 



Lauderdale, Miss.. 





039 



Manatee, Fla 





.125 









Total and av- 

 erage 



3,260,000 



70,070.21 



219,720.26 



3,489,652 



.0629 



.335 



* 



.157 



.179 



.116 



1 Plus interest at 5 per cent on value of State-aid contributions of convict labor. 



2 Exclusive of $33,000 voted but not yet issued for Livingston and Berkley districts. 



