The Recorder, Or, Lady's And Gentleman's Miscellany

A WESTERN FARMER
October 5, 1802.

From the Aurora

The amount of the tribute paid by the United States, since the year 1791, to the Barbary powers, is 2,059,300 dollars.

The distance between Portland in Maine, and Savannah in Georgia, is about 1100 miles, say 100 miles from the extremes of the line to the state boundaries, which will make fifteen hundred miles.

The cost of constructing the best kind of turnpike road, for instance, that which is now making between Philadelphia and Perkiomen bridge, through Germantown, cost the turnpike company from 15,000 to 20,000 dollars a mile. In many parts of the union, where stone and gravel are easily had, and labor cheaper, such a road might be constructed for 10,000 dollars the mile, as we have understood to be the case in New-England: however, taking the whole of the 1500 miles on an average of 4000 dollars the mile, the whole of the road from Portland to St. Mary's might have been made a turnpike, if the sum paid to the Barbary powers, had been applied to that purpose.

It would be an useful object of investigation to bring together the whole of the amount of the trade to the Mediterranean from the United States for the last twelve years, and by estimating a fair percentage, on the whole, to see whether the profit to the individuals, and the revenue to the union, approached to any thing like this sum paid for a dishonorable tribute.

Another enquiry might be made parallel with this, if the saving in time, and wear and tear of travel between the extremes of the union during the same period, would not have been a vast sum, if the tribute money had been applied to the construction of a road.

From Lancaster to Philadelphia is about sixty miles. Twenty years ago it was from three days to a week's journey between the two places, owing to the badness of the roads, and in some places to their circuity, by which the distance was increased. This distance is now travelled with so much celerity, that it is common to breakfast in one place and dine at the other. This is owing to the provident wisdom which constructed a good turnpike road--apply the principles deducible from these facts to the sum of money laid out in the nefarious tribute, and say what would have been the advantages of intercourse between the extremes of the continent. Roads, like rivers, enrich and enliven society, by the facility which they give to intercourse and to trade. Roads draw men, and towns, and states into closer neighbourhood. Roads enrich the countries through which they are carried, for they invite to population, by the means which they afford for carriage of produce. And they enrich the land-holder, as well as the merchant. They increase the value of land on the high roads, and they increase the market. The circulation of vast sums on such great works is of equal value to the public, as double interest upon the principal; for it retains capital in activity, and it circulates capital at home instead of abroad. Every man who is interested in the good of the community, is interested in the construction of roads. Those who come here to trade and send the profit to other countries, can have no interest in canals, bridges, or roads.

It would be a wise measure of our state legislature, to accommodate themselves to the patriotic wishes of those who are solicitous for the re-establishment of the taxes on pleasure carriages, to levy a tax equal to the federal tax, and expend it on good roads.

If the farmer can find two men to purchase his produce, where he formerly found only one, the price of his goods is of more value--his chance of a good market is doubled--if two towns are established in a country where there was formerly only one--the advantage is increased in the same proportion.

Apply this principle another way. There are ten towns in a country. The towns are remote from each other--creeks liable to overflooding, and rapids separate them---the rivers are in some places obstructed by a mass of rocks, which a small expense would remove--or a small canal correct--there are no roads, or what is of equal effect, roads impassable; these impediments render those ten towns of no more advantage to each other than if they were scattered over the extremes of Siberia and Kamtschatka.

Promote roads, canals, and bridges in all parts of the country, and while you promote the circulation of the public capital, you promote the health and prosperity of the community---you facilitate internal commerce---internal riches---and provide the best and quickest of all markets---the home market.

The farmer in the neighborhood of Pittsburgh may bring his flour to Philadelphia, and be sure to find a market... but there is the expense of carriage to enhance his price; if the road is so bad that it will take his horses and waggon driver three or four days more to travel to Philadelphia, than if the road was good,) the three days labor of his man and horses must be added to the price of commodity, or lost.

If the road is made so good that he may pass over it in three days less than at present---the distance may be said to be three days journey shorter, and he sell cheaper and return home quicker, and have a more frequent and a sure market. For, so far as it concerns the export, the farmer cannot command his price, but according to the exigency--- this depends entirely on accidents of a foreign and uncontrollable nature.

To preserve the market when there is no foreign exigency, the price alone must secure the market. By improving roads, canals, and bridges, so that produce may travel with safety and celerity at all seasons, the farmer is enabled to accommodate his price to the demands of the factor or merchant, because his own loss of time and expense is lessened by that of the public government.

Pennsylvania feels this in many parts; but there are some parts of the state in which a false policy, or an unjust jealousy prevails to the detriment of one part of the state. In Bucks county, for instance, the upper part of the country is improved and ornamented in the highest degree with elegant bridges and good roads. Their policy, as to that part of the county, is excellent and commendable, and they prosper by it; but it is execrable as it relates to the lower part of the same county, which contributes at least an equal, perhaps a greater share to the expense. Over the Neshaminy, in the lower part of Bucks, on the great high post road between the principal cities of the union, perhaps there is the worst bridge in the union--- it is worse than any thing of the kind in Maryland. Yet a few miles farther up in the county, where one carriage does not pass for every twenty that pass below, there are bridges that might vie with the bridges of the most improved parts of Italy, or England.

This case is specified only to be applied to the state at large, and to the state all together---the principles of improvement apply with equal force to one state as to another. The neighboring state of Maryland would seem, from its backwardness of improvements, to be in the hands of a few persons determined to retard the progress of civilization, and of human industry. The indifference to interior improvement in Maryland, is truly astonishing, considering that the lands are not in the hands of persons who reside in any foreign country---but who really reside at, or near them.

They should know that good roads in every direction, will increase the value of lands adjoining to the roads---it is the point from which every state ought to set out, that wishes to increase its population, its prosperity, and the value of its lands and produce.

-A principle, long understood, has been recently stated with much consequence --." that the real strength and riches of a state, consists in its internal resources, in its own productive force, in the increase of labor---the augmentation and circulation of capital---in the freedom of commerce, and industry at home."

The plain English of which is, that you multiply as much as possible the number of your people .-whose labor will pay for what they require, the necessaries of life---this production and reproduction of necessaries for subsistence and for comfort, are the great wheels on which modern civil society move.