Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1885-11-05
STONE ROADS.

correspondent in the Liberty Press say
he sees that the NokrHwEsT is again biddin,
for stone roads. he sees nothing Of th,
kind; he is simply mistaken, for we have a
yet taken no sides upon the Question of ston,
roads for Henry county, Several correspond
ents have spoken through our columns, botl
pro and con, for whose views we are not re-
sponsible, as they are not our own. .'
As the subject of roads is up, we wish tc
say few words to the above mentioned cor.
respondent, who is yehemently opposed to
improved stone or gravel roads, unless those
directly benefited pay the expense of con-
struction. This seems to be his whole argu-
ment, which is in fact no argument at all. II
this view is to be taken, it would apply to all
public improvements made by the general
taxpayers of the county for certain localities
in the county. From his standpoint the
Florida bridge should have been paid for by
those in its immediate neighborhood, or by
those who use it, instead of being paid by the
people OF the whole county. Likewise the
people of Texas should pay for the free fer
ry which is run there at the county's expense,
and the Napoleon bridge should have been
paid for by the people in its immediate vi
cinity, and not ask those taxpayers on the
extremeNorth line of the county to help build
it. Also, our Liberty friends, according to
his argument, should be called upon to liqui-
date the amount for the new bridge and abut-
ments over Turkeyfoot, and so on without
limit.
We, in common with all, must concede
that our roads need improving, and that their
improvement would be great convenience
and blessing to humanity and dumb brutes.
But, we have not felt like advocating their
building, because it was a questionable
as to whether the county at the present
time was in condition financially that would
justify the expenditure of money for these
improvements upon the roads.
We certainly are not in condition to build
ten, twenty, thirty or forty miles of stone
road in year or two, but it is our belief that
three or four miles could be proftably built |
each year, with our present rate of taxation,
and our other obligations not suffer in the
least. There should be no wholesale rush
into the road improvement business. No
taxpayer could conscentiously find fault |
with the Board of County Commissioners if
t would build few miles of stone or gravel
'oad each year, under the Norton act, which
makes it necessary for those on the line of
uch improvement to raise by subscription
It least 20 per cent. of the construction ex-
'ense. The balance to be paid out of the
common treasury.
Defiance county has made beginning, and
Turing the past few years has constructed
uite number of miles of gravel and stone
Dads, much to the betterment of its citizens
nd without materially increasing their tax
ate. True, Defiance county has not the
eavy court house and Jail debt resting over
that Henry county has, but our debt does
ot begin to become due until 1880, in which i.
ear a reappraisement of real estate will be !.
lade and our tax duplicate enhanced prob
bly, one-third, which will enable us to meet
bligations handsomely with no increase of
TX rate.
Many other counties have improved their
Dads, or begun to do so, but many are still U
Iitating the question as we are. Those +
ounties which have had experience in the q
uilding of stone or gravel roads would not q
D back to the old mud pixies for many times q
hat they cost. G
We understand the Wabash Railroad Co. h
i've signifed their willingness to haul the h
scessary stone at the mere cost of loading,
'oyiding Henry county makes move in
is direction. Our columns are open to any h
le wishing to speak upon the road question, v
r or against. -