Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1889-01-16

AT Regular meeting OF the Tarrant
county alliance, held in the city of Fort
Worth on the 18th inst, the following
resolutions were unanimously adopted:
]. That we approve any and all proper
methods looking to the improvement of
county roads.
2 We do not think it wise to issue
bonds for said purposes.
8 A law should be enacted by which
short term penifentiary eonvicts and all
county prisoners should be worked on
roads in county where sentenced.
l. The road and bridge tax should be
increased.
3. A special poll tax should be levied
for road purposes, and the law requiring
men between the ages of eighteen and
forty-five years to work five days in the
year or pay S., should be repealed.
6. That a copy of these resolutions be
( sent to our honorable senators and rep
Fesentatives at austin
Every member of said body was in favor
ofsgood roads at almost anycost, while
than myself yet 1 am opposed to issuing
bonds for the following reasons:
/ Texas has 243 counties and suffi-
cient territory 10 increase the number TO
260 An average county is thirty
miles square, and to build
eight roads across county each
thirty miles long would make total of
$40 miles. If the construction cost $1,000
per mile or S240 900 TO each county, and
this be multiplied by the number of coun-
ties you have S38 400 600. If interest and
sinking fund would amount to s per cent,
the pc pple of Texas would have to raise
each year 81 ,072 900 to send directly out
of Texas to bondholders in New York or
Europe.
2. If bonds were voted on by counties
designing men who would expect to make
money out of the bonds, could by a small
expenditure on the day of election infu-
ence a large vote for the bonds by the
men who pay no taxes.
3. II bonds were voted county COM
missiouers could be elected by the use of
money, who by being persuaded with a
few thousand dollars, would approve large
contracts to such men as would get the
money without doing the work.
This would greatly retard the sale of
lands and settlement of school lands i'll
our new counties, as persons would not
want to buy lands under such circum-
stances, n tax on bonds and his own abor
tax. besides an Indebtedness over HIM,
his children and grandchildren for thirty
years TO core, with nc visible results for
same To show that.my position is not
too strong and that the people have suf-
fered ] refer TO the outrageous bonded
Indebtedness of the cities of New Orleans,
Memphis, Houston and Marion county,
Tex. and many other instances where
the people are being legally robbed to
pay tax for bonds that never benefited
the taxpayer.
/ Homesteads III Texas are exempt
from forced sales except for taxes
County bonds would be the same as
deed of trust on every dollar's worth OF
taxable property and the home would be
virtually mortgaged tiH every dollar was
paid.
3. If bonds were allowed, they could be
sold at par with or per cent. interest.
As proof of this l refer to per cent. gov
eminent bonds now worth l 80 and Texas
bonds 40. Spectators would urge that
they be put at .06 or OF.
L. How can we build roads without
bonds? l answer, carry out above reso-
buttons
/ Enact Il law by which short term
couvicts and all county prisoners could be
worked on roads in counties where SEN
tence is passed or where indictments are
pending.
,. For three 90 years increase the road
and bridge tax from ! ) to 40 cents on the
500, and as our state tax is now only 10
cents, the above increase win hurt no
one; especially as the money would not
be sent to New York, but put at once in
circulation at home.
3. Repeal the law requiring men be-
tween the ages Of IS and 10 TO work five
days on roads or pay five (S5) dollars,
equal TO 4 tax of So on each poll.
(. For three years levy a special tax
for road purposes of So on each poll.
This would be s. less than is being paid.
>. Hold mass meetings and arouse the
people to the Importance of broad,
straight, well constructed roads, so every
one viii feel a personal interest. Then
farmers and land owners will willingly
donate the right Of way, also rock,
gravel, timber, etc, needed for con-
structiOn. But if it has to be paid for by
bonds, no man would make q donation.
One farmer said to me: I viii forever
oppose bonds, but / am willing to give
fifty days work with wagons and teams to
get good roads through my section
Another said he would give right of way
if wanted through his land, and donate
all the rock and gravel wanted for any
length of road.
6. Let no large contracts where the
work would be sighted or covered up and
get pay for work not done, but let not
more than one mile of road at one time TO
any one person, and give the preference
to farmers or others whose land VIII be
most benefited by the piece Of road let,
90 self-interest would demand good work.
Z. Garry this plan out, and in three
years we win have good roads, all paid
for and no one injured
OBJECTIONS.
I. We are opposed to your plan and
want bonds, rs the present road tax will
pay the interest and sinking fund. and
the roads viii cost nothing. This may be
correct so far rs six or eight counties are
concerned, but in three-fourths of the
counties in Texas twenty times the pres
ent road tax would not pay the interest
and sinking fund. In counties where It
would be SUFFICIENT ii would have to be
kept up for thirty years, while on my
plan we would need no road tax after
three years, as convict labor would more
than kee roads in good condition.
IF ue taN ourselves to make good roads