The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1872-03-29


city, aud that done, TO take up All
other approach 10 The city and make
that passable; aud SO on, until all
The roads leading into the city shall
be made good. No township need
adopt the provisions of this law un-
less It desires to do so. Nor, need
any city and township consolidate
for the purpose OF forming single
road district unless the autho-
rites thereof assent TO it. The
township, not including the
city, can, If it desires. throw it.
self into a single road district and
put its whole force for one year, on
a certain bad road, or two or more
of them, under the direction of one
overaeer, and finish, during the
same season, in a substantial way,
the work it begins, to the great saw
ing of labor, time and money, Our
general laws, in relation to high
ways, are pretty much failure, and
the reason is that under them, the
townships are cut up and laid off
into such small road districts that
there is not labor and wealth enough
in many of these districts to culvert
the ravines and repair the bad places
without laying too heavy a tax on
the people. The result is, our roads,
for the last eight or ten years. have
been getting from "bad to worse, :"
and the clamor and curses, by those
who use them, louder and more pro-
fame. A mans christian fortitude is
sorely tried when his team, with a
moderate load, gets "stuck" in the
mud in sight of a macadamized
street. The town gets a blessing
then such as was never witnessed at
a revival.
Under the general road laws, the
public highways about our city
have not been kept in a condition
to be travelled with ease at all sea-
sons of the year. The people are
not to blame. The fault Is with our
system of laws. Where the popu.
latiOn is small and the taxable val.
ues light, the labor and means OIL
many of the districts are inadequate
TO repair the roads which traverse
them. Now, we bring forward this
law as a remedy. Under it the
property of the city may be taxed
as the law says, "for the purpose o.
repairing the roads leading into" it
The city and surrounding countrS
being thrown into one road district
1t will take but light road tax on al
the property, with the road Iabo
added, TO repair even the Cotton
wood bottom. What is the use O
having an iron bridge unless thl
people can get to it? The import
ancc of letting in all the southern
trade is conceded by our citizens
Sufficient means must be raised I,
finish the work when it shall b,
undertaken. Two thousand dollar
have been expended on this road
already-one thousand taken from
the city treasury at one time-ani
yet the road is not passable. TIL,
work might be done this season
under the provisions of this act, b,
issuing certificates of indebtedness
and raising the money on them-th,
certificates to be taken up when thu
tax shall be paid next winter.
Under the JudlciOus management
of competent overseer, two o
three of the public roads leadin;
into the city might be worked ant
made what they should be in on
season and thus, as far as practica
BILE, enable men to work out thei
road taxes on the roads runnin;
through the settlements in which
they live. But the idea of the Law
is to lay the basis for raising tn
necessary means to make good road
leading into the town from all direc
tons by taking in the city to hell
the country, by abolishing these lit
tie road districts and by q concen
tration of money and labor to &C
conplish what may be undertaken
We can't raise money in one roaC
district and expend it in another
We can't raise it by subscription
Then the only way to do it is by tn,
plan proposed, namely: to enlarg'
the boundaries of the road dIstric
in which it is necessary to do tn,
work. Men and money will do it
and he who expects to accomplish
by any other means will find, afteI
years of delay, that back to thesI
must he come at last. This mattel
now rests with the authorities, who
have no doubt, will give it tina
careful atten ton which its import
ance deserves and take such action
as win meet the approval of the
people of our city and township.
G. ". EsKRIDGE.
march 26th, 1872.