Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1882-11-30

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county roads, stalking root. Even rocks
crumble under continued blows and
traditions which are as deeply rooted as
the hardest boulder must yield in time
One year ago, at a session of the County
Board, Mr.. John Macarthur proposed
that the labor system of working roads
should be changed to a cash system, but
little was done in the matter at that
time. This year, the matter came up
again and in a more urgent form in the
shape Of a resolution, introduced by Mr..
Chris Hutchinson, %instructing the as
semblymen and senator from this
county to endeavor to secure the pas
sage of q law that would require road
taxes TO be collected in money. The
resolution brought in its train consider
able discussion and it was found that
the subject of road improvement had
been given considerable thought by the
different members Of the board. Owing
TO a clashing of opinions as to the best
means for securing this improvement
the resolution and q substitute wa lost.
1t has left its imprint however, and that
is sufficient for the time being.
There was an almost entire unanimity
Of opinion among members that some
thing ought to be done to improve the
highways and especially the main
travelled th%oroughfares of the county.
All were ready to admit the outrage of
the present road system but many were
as yet not ready to accept a radical
change.
That the change under which road
taxes can be collected in cash and thus
allow Of the tax being placed where it
will do the most good. will be for the
better there seems hardly Il chance for
denial. To be sure some road superin-
tendent might misappropriate the funds,
but so might a county officer misappro-
pirate the funds Of a county, but that
is no reason why taxes should not be
paid in money If the money is misap-
p%ropriated the officer or his bondsmen
would have to make itgood. The same
rule would hold good in the lesser rs in
the greater Office.
The principal objection however ap-
pears to come from that conservatism
which holds that a certain thing must
be good because it has the merit of age.
Yet, as was iostanced by q member of
the board, in a private discussion OF the
matter, people were willing to drag
along for years underline old school law
which gave some districts one or two
months Of school and some none at all.
Whenever the question Of change came
up in the town Ll~eetings it was voted
down. Finally the legislature took hold
Of the matter and provided fol compul-
sorry education for five months i the
year at least. What is the result. To-
day hardly a citizen could be found who
would hear for a moment of a return to
the old system.
Yet that was something which only
returned an indirect benefit in the edu-
cation of the children and consequent
raising of the tone of intelligence in diff
ercnt communities, while the improve
ment of the roads is q direct benefit to
every farmerin the community through
which the road runs. 1t is a tangible
benefit, me he can see, and feel for that
matter, whenever he has occasion to 90
to n neighbors Or to 90 to market.
a good turnpike, over which a heavy
load . be hauled during any day of
the year is much more of a necessity to
the average farmer than arailroad. Yet
let a town have an Inklingt that a certain
company IS contemplating line Of road
through their township lines and they
will vote away thousands Of dollars in
aid Of the project, while the same town
would not vote an equal number of cents
towards building a good, well maead-
amized turnpike, or vote ever to collect
their road taxes in money SO the town
officers will be able to ~macadamize the
worst slough holes in the town.
The ball however has begun to roll
andit grows larger every year if not
every day. To a people 50 dependent
upon highways for i~nter-county COM
munication as the inhabitants of this
section the subject is n that ought not
and will not down. 1t is bound TO
grow aud the growth viii be in the line
of Il direct benefit for every man, woman
and child in the county.