The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1884-07-09
OUR COUNTY ROADS.
PLAIN TRUTHS TERGELY TOLD.
The Cheap John Policy no Policy at
AIl-Equali2e the Burden-Let
Dives Dig Dirt as Wen
as Lazarus, Etc.

The following concerning county roads
will be found interesting to our readers.
The article is reproduced from the
Mesquite Mesquiter, and appeared in
that paper as correspondence. 1t reads
as follows
The question of public roads is
one that should interest everybody in
our country. All do not agree as to the
manner of Keeping up roads, but all
unite in saying give us good, straight
roads and safe bridges" and they want
them at the least possible cost to the
people. This is human nature; we all
want everything cheap. But ii we pre-
tend to have roads, let us have such as are
commensurate with the wants and ne
cessities of our county and the civiliZa-
ton of our age. Whether or not the
present road system is the proper one
remains to be seen, as IL has not yet been
tried. Under the constitution az
amended last August, a tax of 10 cents
on the 500 can be levied for road and
bridge purposes. Our Commissioners
court has made the levy to the full CON
stitutional limit, and Dallas county CON
tains about $l5,00O,0OO worth of taxa
able property. Fifteen cents on
the hundred dollars will give us
$4,000 for roads and bridges, less the
expense Of assessing, collecting, etc,
but the fines and forfeitures will give lis
an annual road and bridge fund to
start WITH of $4,000; this fund would
probably increase to 5000 or $4,000 in
four or five years. Let us estimate that
the fund will average, say 100000 for
five years. This will give us 100000 in
cash and five days work by every man
in the county subject to road duty.
Now, it does look like this would give us
pretty fair roads. But, really, to tell lust
how much money and labor is needed
depends on the character of the i'm
prOvements to I've made. The old ten
day system was Of little consequence, as
the burden fell on the labor of the coun-
try, while property contributed nothing.
The law that places the burden Of keep
ing up and opening roads equally and
alike upon both money and muscle is
what we all want, if we are honest with
each other. 1t is not right for the mus
Gle of the country to keep up the roads,
neither is il justice for money to do all.
Both should bear their proportionate
part of the burden.
The present law is equal as to the OK
actions on property and labor. For in
stance take man worth, say $1,000, and
who is too old for road duty. He pays
$3.50, provided the full amount OF ID
cents is levied and collected, whereas
the man who labors for him at $l5 per
month pays 50. In this case the
labOrer ut $50 year contributes
more than three times as much to the
road than the man worth $1,000 If this
party worth $1,000 works the roads in
addition to paying $3.50 on his property,
lie then pays only $3.50 more than tho
man who owns not cents worth of
Np,tr 1nt col /,
$4,000. If he is assessed to the full con
stitutiOnal limit, he will pay $l5 to the
road and bridge fund. a man worth not
a dollar contributes 50, or one third
as much as the $4,000 man does on
his property. Take man worth $lU,.
900; he pays $50, while the man
whose muscle is worth $3.50 per year
provided he don't get sick, pays in work
So, or One-thirtieth rs much a.
the 100000 man. All this goes
to show that under the present
law, the burden on muscle and money
is not equal in the matter of keeping nj
roads and bridges. rhis is not right
Muscle is booked to do more than it,
part, whether it does it or not. But il
must be taken for granted that the Law
is, or will be, enforced, for we can only
argue the question on the hypothesis
that 1t will he enforced. And the full
maximum constitutional limit OF taXo'
for roads and bridges-l5 cents on the
500 worth of propcrty-le it be remem-
bered, is here considered. The Commits
sioners court hab the power to put the
tax at or 10 cents on the 500 worth o
property, il ii sees fit. Then the burden
on labor would bo eorresponuinglN
greater. SO TO equaliZe the road burden
il would seem the number Of days tn,
laboring man works would hav,
to be reduced or the TIL
ON property raised. All vii
agree that we want low taxes, but al
will Furthermore agree that We shOuiC
deal justly by labor. We never hay,
had good road system, We boast o
our towns, cities, railroads, newspapers
magnificent buildings and our wonder
ful producing capacity, hut what can W,
say Of our public highwaysY We nee,
not expect good roads for nothing
Things Of great and lasting importance
arc no. brought about with
out the expenditure Of lahO
aud money. Let the new sys.cu
have TAI; trial, and il found iuujc
quuto, then change u, - thai taxes gnI
labor shall he cTu,a We know tn
power u tax Is dangerous, nuI the la
horor has rights aS w,ii ~ The propprt,
owner. MuEr the County Surveyor cH
oiiicio road supervisor and put him IN
der bond to see that road OYerseerh an,
County Commissioners do their duty
IL is proper ~ state that the tax leviu
under the now road law will not b
available before next February.
Then -g,n; The mtlcNihc cnactwon
of the las, Legislature requiring that y
road shall bc changed unless it ha mud
shorter seems little arbitrary. The ru,
will do as to iirst-r.ass roads, perhlp'
hut not ~ all CLASSES, for reasons ohNiuu
To- all thinking people. | would Ike
discuss other features Of the road law
but this article Is already too long.
Tho skin is of that delicate nature apo
which tine most Improvement c1l !
made, aud hy the use of poa2nni's med
Gated complexion powder all ruughuc>
sdllOwnosS and Irritation cam Doe Owe
COME, lowing the skin doliratylv whit
Soit and smooth. This preparation has
worldwide reputation, so Hu fear ncoo ]
entertained ol the result. Sold 10y a
druggists
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THE RACES,
Third Regular Meeting W the Ger
DRIVING gluh