Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-04-18
uooD COUNTY.

/ URASBuRlt lex, April l.--tultOr IA
zRTTK; at first thought had no desire
10 suggest any changes In our school and
road laws, but see you still press the
question. AS to the school law know
OF few changes that think would be an
| improvement on the present law. Some
OF them, however, may not be for the best
at this time. am OF the opinion that a
county superintendent of public instruc.
ton for each county, uniucumbercd with
any other office, would be an improve
ment on the present arrangement, If the
state could afford to bear the expense,
but In order to derive benefit from such
an arrangement the superintendent should
be an experienced educator, and 10 secure
such man and enable him TO devote his
time, talents and energies to his work he
would have to be paid a fair salary, and
the expense to the state would then be
so great that the school fund TO many
counties would be so small that neither
the schools nor the superintendent would
be OF much value. As the law is, the
county judges are compelled to do what
they do for small pay, and right here
Will say that they can
do about all that is required of
them under the law as IL now is ex.
cept TO visit all Of the schools IN their
counties and lecture therein. That is an
utter impossibility, unless county judges
neglect other duties, hence that require
ment should be stricken out II county
Judges are to be retained as superintend.
ents OF public instruction, but | am of
the opinion that every county Judge in the
state would be pleased to be relieved of
the school affairs. am of opinion
that the prorata share Of each child to
the school fund should follow such
child anywhere in the state that
it may attend school If application is
made to the county superintendent for
such transfer before the school fund ia
apportioned am of opinion that the
district system is preferable to the com
munity system.
ROAD LAWS.
The road law, think, could not be
greatly bettered. We must remember
hat the fathers who made what roads we
have gave the right OF way to them.
worked them until they were forty-aye
years old; they built our school-houses.
paid their children's tuition out of their
,wn pockets, built churches, court
houses and lails, improved their lands
md made the country large by what it is.
Now they have little property left, and
% repeal the law and compel them
again to keep up the roads by taxation
would not be treating them fairly. AS
he law now stands five days is all that
IAN be required Of hands to work on
'oads, and the commissioners courts |
IRE authorized to levy for roads |
md bridges a tax not to exceed 10
'ents on the 500 valuation. This seems
% me to reach all persons, and is not
'nerous on any. The old man who has |
iome property aud has worked the road
lntll he was forty-tive years old, still con.
rioutes. The young, who will need the
Dads when the old are gone, work five |
lays, and If they have property paw ac- |
.ording to their worth, but to levy and |
ollect tax sufficient to open roads and
'eep them In repair, build bridges and |
'ulverts and all work done under con-
ract, would be attended with difficulties
md evils that would soon require such
aw TO be repealed. think commission
RS courts should have little more
discretion In some cases. | personally
inow OF instances where counties have
'een compelled to pay heavily to repair
)ad piece OF road because to charge il
or better route would make the dis. |
ance little greater. II. T. BERRY,
County Judge, Hood county