78 BULLETIN 393, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. - 
Two schools in Beat 1 were consolidated by reason of the better roads 
and one school was discontinued, as the children are now able to 
attend school in Meridian. These two changes have resulted in a 
net saving to the county of $100 per month for teachers’ salaries. 
VALUE OF THE ROADS TO THE COMMUNITY. 
In order to bring out an expression of opinion as to the value of 
road improvement, an inquiry was addressed by a local paper to 
prominent citizens living on the improved roads. From the replies 
received, the following quotations are made: 
(1) It is impossible to enumerate the advantages of such a road as this; it is the 
only time in my life that I have ever realized any direct benefits from taxation, but 
paying taxes for road improvement with me after seeing and realizing what it means 
to the whole country is a pleasure; and I don’t think you can burden’a man with 
taxation when he gets results like this from it. 
(2) I have heard compulsory education agitated, but if I was a member of the 
legislature I would offer a resolution advocating compulsory road construction, for 
a man that is opposed to it is either ignorant of what it means to him or is a fool, and 
I think the State ought to look after such people. I get pay over and over every 
week of my life for what it costs me by watching the school children pass my house 
to and from school, perfectly comfortable regardless of weather conditions. [I am 
one of the trustees of our school and just a day or two ago I signed the school report, 
showing a total enrollment of 130 and an average attendance during the month of 
December of 109. As you know, December was one of the worst months we ever 
experienced in this county. 
(3) I have never made an investment for which I have gotton as much financial 
returns and satisfaction as I have out of this road. The advancement in property 
alone has been sufficient to four or five times pay the whole cost of construction, and 
I don’t think the county could make any investment that would bring in as much 
returns as to build a network of them all over it. It is such a good thing that I want 
every man in the county to have one just like it, and I am willing to pay my part 
of the taxes to help him get it. 
(4) I live 4 miles from the city and 2 miles from the school. This has been the worst 
winter that I have ever seen, but there hasn’t been a single day that my children 
haven’t walked to school and not a single day have they come home with wet feet; 
and to think they walked down the middle of the road. Not one of them has been 
sick with a cold even, while heretofore my doctor bills have been more than my 
road tax. Talk to me about paying taxes to build roads! JI am willing to pay taxes 
on my pack of fox hounds, my bird dog, my chickens, my horses, and if necessary 
my wife and children, if they will use it in extending roads like this all over the 
county. I would rather have my house and 10 acres of land on this road like it is 
now than have my whole farm on the old road like it was before improvement. ~ 
(5) The good roads have made it possible for me to live at my country home and 
still attend to my business affairs in Meridian, just as easily as though I lived in town. 
The benefit that strikes me as being most practical and far-reaching is the tremendous 
increase in real-estate values of country property located on the good roads. I have 
been especially interested in this feature and have found that in every instance into 
which I have inquired farms located on the good road have been enhanced in value 
from. 50 per cent to 100 per cent as a result of the building of the good roads. I am 
heartily in favor of good roads and firmly believe that everybody would be so if they 
had the opportunity of using one for a short time, 
