Loudon free press. (Loudon, Tenn.) 1852-1855, 1853-09-23
For the Loudon Free Press.


Mr.. Editor:-I notice in your editorial of the
10th inst, an article IN relation to the public
wagon roads leading ssthruagh our county, in
which you state, very correctly too that the
present system of working is nuisance. Il
might further be stated that it seems that the
present system has grown SO old that every
body has become tired of its merits, and at the
present it is carefully laid away. Our county
courts have become tired of it. and looks upon
the whole system as matter of small conse.
quences, and almost beneath their dignity to
keep overseers regularly appointed on the roads,
The overseers when appointed looks upon the
whole system as matter as being beneath their
notice and think themselves disgraced by the
appointment, and will either not work the road
or return their commission forthwith: and to
the utter establishment of every body its but
seldom you can get grand Jury that will take
any notice of the overseer. The County Court
may appoint a Jury for the ensuing Circuit
| eourt-and those Jurors travel over the public
roads in their present condition to the circuit
Court and there be regularly elected, expanded
and sworn and receive plain and positive
charge from the Judge in relation to the public
roads running through their county, and the
Jury will retire to their room and sit there du-
ring the whole term and not present three over
seers in the county. Now these are the only
alternatives we have to keep up the public
roads in and through the county--if these fail
(which they certainly have) what other remedy
shall we apply to in order to have better sys-
tenn in regard to public roads. This brings me
to the question you ask in the last clause of your
editOrial-which is, "would it not promote the
public welfare to leavy road tax and pay men
to keep up the public roads," | am ready to
answer for one that it certainly would. Well
some person may make the inquiry how this
matter may be arranged. Well as your ques-
ton is thrown out to the whole State of Tennes-
see every man has the right to answer and give
his views. Well you shall have mine free graf
is. Let the Legislature pass an act authorizing
the County Courts of each and every county in
the State to remodel the roads and say that roads
shall be kept up by tax, There is some roads
that are not travelled enough to authorize the
county to notice them) and on the first Monday
in January in each year lay the tax and let
their roads out to the lowest bidder and bind
the Contractors in bond with approved security
for his performance-at the same time appoint
three men in every civil district, who shall act
as road inspectors for that district, and so soon
as the contractor completes one mile of his
road let him report to the inspectors, who shall
Immediately examine the work, and if compile
ted agreeable to contract, the inspectors will re-
port the same, under heavy penalty for max
ing false report to the County Trustee, whose
duty it shall be to pay over the money for one
mile eompleted-and so on until the whole con-
tract is done. By this mode IL one year or
less all our public roads will be in good repair.
Perhaps some person will object to this system
thinking il will cost too much meney-to this
answer no. Suppose under the present sys-
TEN All appointed overseer and his order in
cudes B. a farmer who has FIVE hands subject to
work the road, A calls on B in the month of
May for his hands to work the road two days in
that week-at the expiration of the last day, A
notifies the hands to work two days the next
week.-Mrs. done makes twenty days work that
B. has lost from his farm, which at that season
Tor even at any other season of the year for the
farmer can always find employment for his
hands, is worth one dollar per day, which makes
twenty dollars. Now will any one presume
if there was tax laid for keeping up the public
roads that B. would be taxed over five dollars
certainly not-well there is saving to B. of
fifteen dollars, and his public road in good re-
pair Well what is B. profted under the pres
ent system, he looses twenty days work off his
farm worth to him twenty dollars, and to thepub-
lie not one dollar. lis an evident fact that the
tax for the first year viii amount to pretty
round sum, but after the first year, or in other
words after the roads are put in good repair the
keeping them up will amount to a mere trifle-
taking into account the amount of time lost
under the present system. There is an induce
meut offered under the system prOpose-that
is the tax collected off the people and paid into
the county treasury, is circulated pretty much
in the same county for labor done on the roads,
and then every man stands chance to catch
what he can of it-and a system of this Kind
will create a spirit of industry among the labor
ing part of the community-they are the men
to make good roads-and give them the money
and they will do The work. These are my views
in course home spun language, if any better
can be presented would be. pleased to see
them and as the Legislature will shortly be in
session l think it high time that we should ex-
change opinions on this subject, l therefore
hope to hear from you soon. CLINcH RIVER.
September p, 1858.
There is a deep and beautiful meaning in the