The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1883-10-04
Roads and Roai Laws.

1t argues favOrabiy for the future O
the country, because it shows tina
public opinion is aroused upon tn
subject of roads and when thor
oughly aroused some system will b
evolved that will be better than TIL,
present. Hon. James F. Hart o
! South Carolina, in a recent commu
nication to the commissioner o
agriculture of that state, gives hi:
views of the situation and of the
best remedy for the present execra
BILE road system of that state. We
take it that the roads of South
Carolina are not better or worse
than those of Georgia and other
southern states having the same
natural features of soil and topog-
graphy and what would be a good
or bad system for one state would
be found equally good or bad for
any other. Mr.. Hart maintains
that:
1. All roads should be worked by
contract.
2. Each able bodied person liable
to road duty to pay a Communication
tax in lieu of work.
3. Such person to be allowed to
work under the direction of the
contractor at fixed per diem in
discharge of his Communication.
4. A small annual tax, if neces-
sary, to defray the expense.
8. The contractor to give bond
and be held responsible for the
condition of the road at all seasons
of the year.
The plan proposes nothing radi-
cal and at best is but very small
step in advance. According to our
observation and personal experience
it is not the inefficiency of the la
Dor employed at road working that
results in bad roads. Even where
the work is done according to the
direction of the road overseers, il
is generally utterly Intellectual in
securing good roads. The workers
themselves-at least the more in
telligent ones-know that their
work is largely thrown away, from
want of a clear understanding of
the principles of making on
the part of the overseers, and a mis-
application of their efforts. Hence
the work is done with little of the
spirit that animates men who are
conscious of being engaged in a
public work of great utility. Road
working is looked upon as farce
and a frolic. We know whereof we
write. The writer has served many
times as an overseer of roads and
also as road commissioner in Geor-
gia, and knows full well that the
present system is simply better
than no system all.
The great difficulty to be over
come is want of appreciation on
the part of the masses of the people
of the Importance of having per-
manently good roads and at the
same time just conception of what
constitutes a good road.
The citizens of large cities under
stand this question and are willing
to submit to the outlay of a sys-
TEN that alone can give good high
ways.
We have said that the masses do
not have a proper conception of
what is good road. According to
our idea a road should be so con-
structed that it will be substantially
in the same condition the year
round. This cannot be said of any
road that is ever in bad condition.
A road should be Independent of
the weather, or should be as good
all the time as our best dirt roads
are when in their very best condi-
ton. We wish it understood that
we are aiming our remarks chiefly
at market roads-the principal,
most travelled roads of each coun-
try. Now it is perfectly obvious
that ordinary clay soils of middle
and upper Georgia do not and can
not be made to supply the necessa-
ry conditions to successful road
making-without the accumulation
of proper materials for a roadbed.
All the work that can be put on
a raw clay roadbed will not make
it passably good in winter and
spring, and a great part of the la
Dor done in summer-while il inn
proves the appearance and quality
of the roads as long as dry weather
continues-is worse than thrown
away when winter comes.
We want: III. A well devel-
oped sentiment in favor of good
market roads Cat least) and a will
ingness on the part of taxpayers
to bear the necessary burden of
expense.
2. Educated road engineers to
properly locate our leading market
roads and all news roads, and SUI
perintend the proper amendment
and construction of the same.
3. An advalorem tax on all prop
erty, a per capita tax on all voters,
and perhaps a special tax on all
road vehicles and mules and horses.
A. All work to be done by con-
tract according to plans and speci-
fications furnished by a competent
under direction and by
of the county board of
of roads and reve-
nues. This plan contemplates the
construction of regular turnpikes,
wherever necessary
and for a width of not less than
twelves feet, and a perfect system |
of grading and drainage. In most
cases where bad roads occur, there |
is abundant material-more or less
convenient-for the construction of
q permanent rOadbed.
OF course such roads as we have
will cost a great deal of
In many cases where the
burden of tax on the present gener
alton of taxpayers would be too
heavy, bonds of ten, twenty, thirty,
lr fifty years could he issued, and
he cost of annual repairs and inter
sst on the bonds would hardly be
cit. The work of permanent road
should be gradual,