Arkansas intelligencer., 1849-05-12
A RO A d II A X.

property OF :" non.resldents," for the purpose OF
keeping up roads in the several counties. The
justice of the demand is apparent upon one mo.
ment's reflection. 1t is just and proper that the
nom resident and.holder should bear his proper.
ton of all the burthens imposed for the benefit Of
the country in which his lands located. Good
| roads enhance the value of the lands, whether
they are held by strangers or clizens; hence it
follows that strangers, as we'll citizens, should
bear equal proportions of the burlhens. Any one
can perceive the inequality of the present law
As it is now, a citizen of Tennessee, owning
$3.50 worth of lands in the State, increasing
in value every year by The labor and en,erprlze
Of the resident population, and rendered still more
| valuable by the construction of good roads running
| through those lands which roads are built by the
| imposition of tax upon the people in the way of
labor. This labor is worth to the resident
about Sl2 per annum. Thus-a farmer in
the country owning $1,000 worth of lands, (the
average will not exceed ,his) pays Sl2 per an.
mum 10 keep up the roads and supposing that the
increase in the value of lands. arising from road
Improvements, should be, say, 5 per cent, he will
be benefited on his $1,000 worth Of lands $50 for
$l2 worth Of labor. The rich non- resident, own
ing $25 900 worth of lands IN the county, does
work. pays no tax, but his lands benefited
$3.50. In this, we see plainly, that the present
road law is oppressive upon the poor counlryman
dent land holder.
The evil we complain of is fancy sketch. In
this county there large tracts Of the most va
uable lands. owned by residents. through
which roads are necessarily wrought by our far
mers, who have been compelled to abandon their
private pursuits to work upon them. These lands
are held up for speculation, and kept from settle.
mens, and so far retard the improvement of the
country. But the imposition does not stop here ;
the roads on these lands not worked by their
owners, but by. the poor farmers.
No country can improve under such circum.
stances. nd the sooner drive these monopolists
to dispose of their lands actual settlers, whose
la Dor and presence will be prop to the State, the
better If we could them to their throat laches
and compel them TO sell out, it would be expedient
and just. But unfortunately for the country these
lands cannot be reached without taxing at the
same rate our own property and the only way
10 reach the proprietors of these lands is by tar.
ing all residents and nom residents alike - and
to allow the residents opportunity 10 vork out
their taxes. The ' Presidents not having that
privilege, will be compelled TO pay the tax in mo.
ney.
The Genera! Assembly, in 1888, having this
subject under consideration, passed an act allow
ing each county 10 enforce such a law or not. as
best suited the interest or wishes Of the people
The Two important points in that act are, that
every person within the county can commute the
tax. by labor tuco dollars per day-and that such
tao cannot be leried except on petition Of majo-
rity Of the tarabie Inhabitants.
The first point is evidently 10 enable The resi-.
dent to pay his tax as formerly, by labor, but to
compel the nonresident 10 pay in money. There.
fore, our citizens see that by the enforcement
Of that act, their burthens not increased, while
it enables the County Court to reach the non resi-
dent and-holders.
We understand that petitions will be carried
around through the county. which is necessary
before the tax be levied, and it does not
impose additional burthens upon the people, we
trust it will be generally signed.
We publish below the law upon this subject,
which will be found upon page 900, in chap. 40,
Roads and Highways, EngIish's New Digest:
Sec. ~. 1t shall be the duty Of the county
| courts of each county, at the time Of evying the
county tax in each year, to levy road tax on all
property made taxable by the laws of this State
| not exceeding the amour: of the State tax in any
one year.
Sec. 73. Every person within the several coun-
ties of this State, when property is there taxed
shall be permitted to commute said tax, by labor
applied in repairing and improving the roads
within the township of the county in which he or
they may reside al the rate of two dollars per day.
Sec. "a. The collectors Of The State and county
taxes of the several counties, shall collect the road
tax, so levied in the same manner that the other
taxes are now collected and if the same be not
paid, such property shall be sold, in the same
manner that property is sold for the non-pay.
ment of other taxes.
SEC. rs. The several collectors shall paw into
their respective county treasures, the amount of
road tax collected by them, taking the treasurer's
receipt for the same, as so much money paid on
account of roads. .'
! Sec. 76. 1t shall be the duty of the treasurers
of the respective counties in this State when such