St. Landry democrat., 1888-08-25
COUNTRY ROADS.

Especial Correspondence Home and Farm.]
In the June issue of Home and Farm
the editor says The road question il
not to be settled in an oft hand man
ner: 1t is u serious problem in every
agricultural community, the Importance
OF which farmers are just now begin
ming to realize"
This succiDct statement of an all i'm
pOrtant matter gives abundant mate-
rial for thought. For years | have
been studying the road question as
best could, and advocating what |
considered better methods Every
where have been, from the Gulf to
the Canadian line, from Nebraska to
New England, one thing applies to the
country roads-they are yet very poor,
aud not near as good as the develop
neDt OF the country and the eypendi-
lures made upon them would warrant
one in surprising. What is responsible
for this state of affairs ? Undoubtedly
the failure to appreciate properly the
Importance OF good roads by those
most interested, is largely responsible.
cause of lack OF thought and study of
the road problem, we will see that it is
altogether responsible or practically so,
This lack of study has led to the de-
tention OF bad methods for one thing;
and chief among these place the pay
ment of the road tax in labor. In an
Arkansas land agents pamphlet, which
l have just received, it is stated that
"our public roads are kept up not by
taxation, but by actual tabor of the cit
liens between the age of eighteen and
forty five years, living in the vicinity
of the roads" This is the general plan
throughout the country. Usually, how
ever, the labor required, is considered
tax and fail to understand how it
can be construed otherwise. The read
er knows we'll enough what working
the roads" is like. 1t is largely of the
nature of q frnic. Men who do good
days work for themselves or their
neighbors, endeavor to do as little work
as possible on the highways. They do
not realize that when they are working
for the public they are working for
themselves and thhir neighbours. This
is not the only instance in which some
of us unwittingly cheat ourselves and
congratulate ourselves upon getting
ahead OF ourselves. But to return to
the roadwork. The older men spend
ing stories and cleaning their tools.
once during the year-when they have
finished working the roads, The
young men play pranks upon each
other. The amount of work done is
not oDe-half of what would be expect
ed of the same force in equal time at
work on neighbours farm. The quail
ty OF the work is very poor, and for this
the road overseer or boss, whatever his
local title, ia as much responsible as are
the men. His jurisdiction is limited,
his pay is small, and the position brings
no honor to the men well qualified to
occupyit.
Hence the road Oyerseer is too often
a man who has not been successful in
his own business, demonstrating that
he is man of not good judgment and
intelligence. He directs that the work
be done improperly, and so it is done.
These Oyerseers have their own no.
tions of how and for what tire labor
should be expended and as they only
hG1d office for one year. they are large
iy engaged in undOiDg the work Of their
predecessors. Ny readers know that
this picture is not overdyaM4ss, Is it
any wonder that our roads do MT inn
prove Is That during the spring they
are we'll I'LL, mp. ssible, aplT often
dnriug the otlRass months are ,shgh and
"chncky'' ~ Als. II
All this can be essn55 fiarr4tted. 1t has
been done in the St8ttp ID which / re-
side. Now the roadse.f each township, |
six miles square, are pitt in the hands of /
three highway commiPsioners, holding |
office for three years. zone is elected |
each year by the voters OF the township
at the annual election. As result,
their du 1e havpe held overs AZ thew
constitute majority, the work is car
ried along practically the same lines