Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-03-28
LIVE OAK COUNTY.


10 the Editor of the Gazette
have received q communication from
you asking for my opinion In regard u
the road and school laws Of our state
Taking into consideration the vast area Of
Texas and the different interests ard oc-
equations OF the whole people OF Texas,
believe that II would be hard matter
for our legislature TO frame or pass road
law that would not be burden and a
hardship 10 the citizens Of some portion
OF our state. The first sections, / 2, 3,
4, o, 6, z, 3 and 2, pages GB, ca and SO,
special session Of the Eighteenth legisla-
ture, Is an unwlse law, aud impractlcablc
in the southwestern portion Of Texas, for
The following reasons, Wis
/. This Is a stock country. Almost
every foot Of land from the San Antonio
river 10 the Rio Graudc, and from the
mountains to the coast, Is fenced up into
pastures varying In size from 900 TO l50,.
900 acres. The travelling public are de-
pendent upon the pasture men for water
and grass, which they have always had
free access to. San Antonio and Victoria
are our only and nearest markets or
shipping points, and should the commits
sloners' courts force the opening OF first
class roads, sixty feet wide, with no OBJ
structions, as required by law, we would
be forced TO travel in lane from
Corpus Christi TO San Antonio,
and from the Rio Grande to Victoria,
without either grass or water for stock
and without which we could never get
our stock 10 market, and the pasture
owners would be damaged to the amount
OF the cost OF building the lane fences
Tho large majority OF them would have
their pastures cut in two, with no water
IN OuG-half OF their pastures. All of
which would have to be paid by the coun-
tics, which would bankrupt all the coun-
ties In this part OF Texas.
2, ! oppose the present system OF
working and keeping In repair the public
londs, aud favor u law making the county
commissioners road overseers or super
ylsors ofall public roads IN their respect.
I've precincts, leyying road and bridge
tan, and have the commissioners TO hire
hands to work the roads when work Is
needed on the roads, and make their re-
ports, under oath, OF the amounts ex-
pended on the roads of their precincts,
the condition Of the same, etc, at each
regular term OF the commissioners court
The law now forces oyerseers to make an
nual reports under oath as to the number
OF times or days that they have worked
their roads, the number of hands, the
amount OF money collected, the condition
OF their roads, etc. and the ponal law
makes the road oyerseers liable to indict-
ment for failure to keep their roads In
good condition So the law making the
county commissioners supervisors of the
roads in their respective precincts Is a
farce and an unnecessary expense to the
counties, for no benefit results. The
overseers are forced to do Just what the
commissioners do.
SCHOOL LAW.
AS for the school law, 1t is good with
some few exceptions. II is still in itscrude
state and needs modifying in some par
tlculars, In section AZ the law requires
county judges to organize and hold
teachers Institutes This IL a good law
for thickly settled counties, cities and
towns, but In those thlnly Inhabited large
counties with a scholastic population of
from 500 TO 400, and when county has
only eight or ten teachers scattered all
over the county, the Law il impractaicble,
and cannot be enforced, and county
judges are poorly paid for the services
that the law requires them 70 perform.
The above are my honest convictions
and opinions, based upon thorough
knowledge OF the country, aid of the
Southwestern portion OF the state. |
know not whether any will agree with me
or not j. w. RAMEY,
County Judge, Live Oak County.