Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1845-10-30
The Public Roads.

MEssRs. CHAPMANs In your paper of the 14th of
August editorial article the improvement of
the streets of Indianapolis with hint that the ccunr
ty of Marion should do something at the east end of
the town. You also ask why it is that nonresident
property is not taxed for working the roads. In some
parts of the State it is highly taxed, but in this Ma
rionI conty where large proportion of the real es
tate is owned by persons who reside on the corporate
part OF the town of Indianapolis or in other counties
of this State or In SOME other State the road tax is
but per cent and the property OF non-residents viz
tualy escapes taxation for road purposes, or nearly
The bad state of the public roads in this State has
long been subject of comp plant, and by none more
be regretted than the farmer who feels it keeny
getting produce TO market In view of the subject in
all its bearings, would suggest, as humble citi-
Of Marion county, not in spirit of dctation, but
to get ADLER hands enlisted in the improvement
of our roads, that the remarks which you apply to
Marion county should be extended to the whole State
and that general laws should be passed placing the
burthen Of making and keeping our highways in re-
pair upon the of the property, whether resi-
dents or non-residents instead Of the poor man. The
present laws place the burthen Of highway labor
equally on all between the ages of 81 and 90 years
without regard to property, excepting the Gin this
county, nominal property tax of per cent on the
real estate and thereby causing the poor man who is
scarcely able to procure bread for his family, to work
an equal number of days Chat is, at least two days
each,) with the worth ten thousand dollars Af-
ter this and the nominal three per cent tax Is
laid out, the supervisor may, if necessary, treble the
labor and tax upon all in the district but there is
provision by which the treblea tax the property
can be collected, and by this means the poor man
ust work his six days equally with the wealthy, and
the property escapes any additional taxation, if ever
so much required. The supervisor must collect all
forfeures by an action Of debt and if any delinquent
has property than is by law exempt from ex-
ecution it cannot be collected and the highways are
left without the necessary labor and the districts with
out funds to ptocre the necessary tools to work the
highways with, such scraper>, &c. Too frequent
distractions placed in the highways In the shape
of brush, old rails, &C. from the fields and hedges of
persons owning lands adjacent to the highways, and
Ito their shame be it said suffered to remain there
for months together. 1t is wrong in principle that
the burden Of making and repairing highways,
falls heavy the poor as the wealthy and they
would be kept in better repair if all male persons
(white or black over II years of age should be re-
quired work the highways one day each and in
Of REFUSAL without good reasons given, the pen
atty to be in the nature Of fine and Imprisonment
for limited time. Few would then occur in
which they would refuse to work. The residue of the
requisite labor to be assessed upon the property real and
personal of residents and the real estate of non-res
dents living in the respective road districts at the rate
of one days labor for every 500 dollars of the assess
ed valuation of the property of the district If there
should still be insufcency of labor then let the
personal labor of each be increased necessity
shall require, and the numerous complaints of bad
roads will be less frequent.
| A FARMER OF MARION COUNTY.