The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1880-09-02
About Our Roads.

About Our Roads.
KITRELL, Aug. 1sth.-The most sens h'a
article | have had the pleasure Of reading
for some time, is the road report " or =
teemed countyman. y. 4. Gregory. FL
We mus all admit that while Our roads,
generally, are in better condition than theg
used to be. still We must also admit that the
system Of road taxation i a mISerably sad
one. unfair and unjust. Its by no means
equal in its bearings on our citizens. l., II
right, just or fair, that the poor man under
forty.ive years Of age. who i scarcely able
to feed the poor little yellow dog that fol
lows close TO his heels a h.. bare footed,
plods our public roads-l say, l. II night
that he should be compelled TO keep 40 the
roads for the rich land owner, who because
be is over the age i exempt Some 81 our
citizens own thousands OF acres oil land ana
10 not contribute one cent towards keeping
up the roads. Real estate j. Increased or
decreased in value according TO the condi-
ton Of the public roads. ana estate should
- all means contribute il proper share
Of labor to keep the roads in good condi-
ton. We should have a road tax on all
property as we'll on each poll, by which
meals we could buy implements, employ
overseers, get our proportion OF the con
victs and make turnpikes OF our present
gullies in a very few years. Now who viii
profit by this, While 1t will relieve the
poor man. il will also double the rich mans
real estate.
1t does seem to me that the tendency
of all governments Is to Keep up the
rich at the expense of the poor. We
are too apt to keep on pouring down
food to the fat sheep, while the poor
and decrepit ones. lying helpless N the gul
lies, are passed 10y unnoticcd except To be
sheared. a little oftencr than the fat ones
because they are easier to come at, anu are
generally better naturcd. -tR, ia Orfori
Iorchhght.
The report to which he refer, i a. fol-
lows.
70 tie len. Boor1 Of 10 IL Supervisors for
Ortord 1o,o@ship
have the honor to report the road OF
which | am overseer in a good order cope
ratirelv). All my hands have been present
and it has been once worked since my last
report.
With your leave, would like TO submit
a few remarks Gas expressive of tue scnti
ments of us who oversee and work. upon
our present system of road working. SO as
when opportunity comes, you can tell those
who make the laws that control what those
under you think Of them the laws We
think the present census will show the mum
Der of our population and their intelligence
: to be such as to demand an absolute change
of the laws we now work under. They be
long to a day now past and are obsolete.
They are not founded in justice or equity.
They are burdensome, and bear hard
est mon those least benefited. They are
extravarant and wasteful of our labor.
That they are inefficient and a failure, the
, roads themselves for the last fifteen OF
/, twenty wears have stood as evidence. Here
; is the proof practical: | have five laborlne
men who work my road. Not one OF then
own a vehicle to drive OVERT. Certainly theJ
are Interested in good roads ana a cheap,
r efficient road system, because some OF then
have crops to carry to market and they nave
!. their hauling 70 hire, and they must have {
good road so as to carry 1t all at one Dls
/. load if possible, Good roads make a thick
= population, and a thick population mus
have richer and better titled heids, ans
consequently more and better paid labor.
e am the overseer. | own the lands lynn:
; along this road. A good road would say
5 the wear and tear of my wagons and teams
4 GOOD road would save the additional eX
$ penses Of carry ing half loads to market
f And thus | am dissatisfied with the system
| And all of W do our work unwillin9ly an
II grudgingly.
y AS matter of interest and economy W
n are in favor of doing this work by a I1s
and fair system of taxation, and by uslni
the criminals of the county. The Yves
has had this labor to build her railroad
= and turnpikes long enough. We woul
send them our men who commit murdtl
arson and rape. but the lesser criminals "
would keep at home, and this a great goo
"a would be accomplished in their being kel
IL apart bad from worse associates. Grai
D. vile has, ! suppose, on an average, hitee
y or twenty of the latter class. III 1t Will III
. pay to guard and work fifteen or twent.
make reouisition on the State authorltl
G and supplement these with fifteen or tive
~ ty more from the penitentiary of a III
/, character. These economically guarded al
e equipped with good tools would need but
ly small addition of tax to give us good roa'
is throughout the county.
J., If the old system is to he kept up mut
5, longer. would respectfully ask your hoI
at orable body to petition for me a set OF roo
re tools, picks, shovels and drills, including
m key of blasting powder. We have strut
rock beyond the capacity of an ak or III
is inc hoe, Ours was already a ditch Wher
Oh was appointed to command the waters tn
to flow over it. You know 1t must be "a Ia
a matter and must require very superior sk
he to keep the middle of a water-draln hgt
re. than either side. submit that this Is L
II a proper highway and that the county So
ne vcyor be ordered TO run a new one runnil
he parallel, so that [ can use the Gil one
It a proper water-draln.
ld Respectfully submitted.
al NATH'L \. GREGORY