Lexington weekly intelligencer., 1883-01-13
BETTER ROADS.

| Oil 4on AVA01'
The Fulton, Galloway county, Mo-,
Telegraph says.-"Why would not a
convention of county justices. to take
into consideration measures for the
general Improvement of county roads
be good idea?' To which tho St.
Louis Journal OF Agriculture adds
1.-The idea is an excellent one. Road
making and road-repairiug can
scarcely be said to have a system in
Missouri, aud the legislative enact
ments are continuous source of trouble
aud vexation in our legislature and
among our people. A convention of
intelligent county Justices would 60 a
long way toward securing system both
in the road laws and the management
and care of roads. The Journal sec.
onds the Telegraph's suggestion"
The Intelligencer is heartily with its
contemporaries in the desire to see
better road " ork done in Missouri, and
has no sort Of objection to the conven-
ton proposed ii the officers indicated
are wiling to attend and formulate
their ideas upon the subject, but it does
mot expect much from such a move.
ment.
1t 1snot lack of knowledge of the
subject which prevents our legislatures
from making the best road law con-
ceivable. There are always large
proportion of farmers in the body,
Intelligent men who know what ia
needed.
The difficulty in securing good road
law is that there are thirty or thirty-fve
couLtles in the state that do not want
such law. They have good natural
roads. sandy or gravelly surface. and
firm bottomed streams. and they desire
neither to be taxed in laber or money,
and they are, by log-ro!ling. enabled 10
prevent adequate legislation upon the
subject. The modus operandi OF the
thing is very simple-say they have
thirty votes; by judiclously trading
them off on a hall dozen measures they
multiply them to such an extent that
they can defeat any measure which they
do not like. There ia no use sugar.
coating the matter, the trouble is Just
where we have placed it, and neither
political parties nor avocations, farmers
or professional men. are exempt from
the evil. Log rolling Is one of the
worse curses OF our legislation, and in
nothing has 1t done more harm than in
legislation for country roads.
However, the system in vogue is not
altogether to blame for tho poor results
generally obtained. Under the laws
we have had, several Counties III the
state have excellent roads. In every
county. almost, certain districts have
very goods reads while certain other
districts have very bad ones. This is
true where the districts ara similar in
ability to work or pay. M law can
be framed to give as much work to
roads i'll sparsely settled counties or
townships. where the valuation is
small, as can be expended in more
thickly settled PORTIONS of the state.
There are other natural difficulties In
the way of framing a Jaw that will secure
good roads everywhere. Under the
present. law much can be done. In
fairly settled districts with moderately
good natural roads the ordinary tax in
labor and money can by di igence and
care be made to produce good roads.
Where this cannot be done there is
nothing to prevent county courts from
supp ementing the amour Mt produced by
the road tax with judicious appropria-
tions for roads and bridges from the
revenue fund of the county. Tho peo.
pie mover complain OF this expense if
the money is honestly and intelI gently
used. lu those counties Which are
thickly settled. where the land is fer
tile. valuable, requiring much attention
TO dispose of as well is to raise crops,
and where the farmers time is very
much more valuable on the farm than
at work on the road, and where in con.
sequence it is difficult TO induce HIM to
give his time to road work, the alternu.
tive is to work the roads by contract
taxes all in money instead of partly in
labor to be paid. The existing law pro.
vides that this may be done in any dir
trct where the majority OF the tax nav.
payers shall petition !hc county court
to that effect.
The benefit OF good roads canno. bo
over-eslimaIed; it is not fully realizcu
by most people. To got them should
be desired by every resident of the
state. No effort should be spared to
secure proper legislation on the subject:
nor TO make the best use of the laws
when placed upon the statute books.