St. Landry democrat., 1888-08-25

and having the same objects in view
year after year,
The work of one year is the contin-
uance OF the work Of the preceding
year, not the undoing of it, The juris-
dlctlOn OF the commissioners is not so
large that they can not thoroughly
study, direct and oversee operations !;
yet it is SD large that it carries some
honor and fair pay for men of good
abilities, and such occupy the position.
The road tax is collected in money,
along with the real and personal prop
erty tax. The work to be done is care
fully divided into lots. Specifications
are to be carefully drawn. In this
work and in overseeing it, especially
bridge building, the overseers through
out the country. are assisted by the
county surveyor. who must also be
lots to the lowest bidder. Bids are in
vited 10y advertisements in the county
papers, and the bids are received sealed.
Payment is conditioned npon the salts
factory performance of the work. Your
reader will see that this is simply in
Producing tried and good business meth
DDS into the public service :. and this
civil service reform has already worked
a great Improvement in our highways.
Some men make Il speciality of road
work. They provide themselves with
special tools which the townships did
not have under the old regime and
among these men there is not a little
competition for work hence the road.
working and repair is done at low fig
ures. The same expenditure has at
least three times the effect that it had
under the old system of collecting and
expanding the road tax. The new Sys-
TEN has had Il trial of eight or nine
years in this country, and no one thinks
of returning to the former methods.
Another point of prime Importance.
is to make all improvements and re-
pairs thorough and complete. As a
general thing. the road tax is spread,
over twice the surface that should he
covered. AS result repairs are made
that they will last till the next year
And;it is fortunate it they last that long
RamShackle bridges are put in, to set
tie till they are unsafe, or to go out with
the first fteshet If a start were made
at some point, and the tax expend-
ed only so far as it would make thor
ongh, substantial, permanent improve
ment, much more would be accom-
plished in the end. Better one bridge,
or one mile Of grading that will en-
dure for twenty years, than six
bridges, or six miles of grading that
must be replaced in year. In thus re-
ducing the extent of the work, it will
be necessary to do first of all work ac-
tualiy necessary to avoid impassibility
of the highways. The very bad spots
must first receive attention but let
that attention be such that they will not
require more for years. Those stretches
Of road which are mOat used should
next be selected. In this way the high
ways may be kept passibe, and he
gradually and permanently and sub
stantially improved, while each year
the tax is expended where it will do the
most good. In almost every neighb0r-
ways should DO closed. 1t is not used
by the public but by only one OF two
private individuals.
1t may be impossible to close these
highways, but it is possible to Withhold
expenditures from them until those
highways which ale Truly public are
put in good condition. This is justfi-
able. In fact, not to do this would be
clearly unjust tn the public. If private
parties desire roads for their exclusive
benefit let them maintain those roads,
while the public funds are expended
upon the public highways; and any
highway official who is com petent for
his position will direct that this be
done,
In closing, | would emphasize the fact
that the first step of all must be the re-
form that have described. This Sc
cures competent men for the direction
and supervision of the road work.
Hence, good methods prevail the tax
is wisely expended, and the tax is 80
collected and the work so done that the
tax. is the most economically expended.
To sum up, the improvement of the
highways is made as great as could
be expected from the cost to the public.
JOHN NJ. STAHL.
Quincy, III.