The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1890-07-17
ROAD LAW AMENDMENT.

hOAD LAW AMENDMENT.
e In my notes last week l drew atten
: ton to the constitutional amendmen
now before the people giving countie
, the option of taxing themselves TO
d. road improvement and l stated tina
J. said amendment appeared to give ad.
ditional taxing and money spendin,
= power to county commissioners. TIL,
t inference is fair one, when drawn b,
t anyone not familiar with the detail
t of present road law and the technical
tiles of legal phraseology. / was no
prepared to advocate any such eten
sion of power to commissioners court
believing that they already possess toe
much uncontrolled power; which il
not always wisely used.
Unfortunately the gubernatoria
contest and the railroad commission
question have overshadowed all other
subjects and the people have not been
fully instructed as to the scope and
meaning of the road law amendment
Anxious to have clear interpreta-
ton of the proposed amendment
have consulted the best authorities
who agree that saiG amendment
means neither more or less than to
: give each county the power to tax it.
self to the extent of fifteen cents on
the 500 valuation over what is now
allowed by law. That, and nothing
more.
The taxing and spending privileges
OF the commissioners court remain as
at present and the fifteen cents extra
can not be levied, unless the property
owning taxpayers by direct vote in
struct the commissioners to levy
| such additional tax. Such being the
fact, everyone anxious for the i'm
provement CT county roads should
have no scruples about supporting the
amendment.
All are agreed on the advantages,
both to city and county, of good roads,
and must be equally agreed that roads
cannot be made without money. The
present road and bridge fund is alto
gether inadequate to our necessities,
and even if wisely and economically
expended could never give us the
much needed relief. An additional Is
cents, if wisely spent, would give the
county her greatest want-good roads.
Let anyone skeptical on the advan-
tages Of good roads take run over
the sections of road just finished by
the road association, and they will be.
come believers.
COUNTY CONvICTs. 80.
At a recent meeting of the County
Judges association in Galveston,
these gentlemen unanimously recon-
mended the acceptance of the road
law amendment and the employment
of county convict labor on the roads.
Judge Bower of Dallas county re-
lated his experience with convict labor,
and declared that it has been alto.
gether satisfactory; indeed, that it is
by far the best labor they have been
able to employ.
The experiment is well worth trial.
1t is simply an outrage to keep con-
victs eating the bread of idlehess in
Jail when roads and other public i'm
provements are IN so much need of
labor.
FIRST COTTON BALE.
The first bale of cotton for the
season of 1890 was sold in Galveston
on July 7th. 1t was sold at auction
IN the cotton exchange and realized
the very handsome sum of 500, to
which was added a premium of 800. |
1t was raised in Duval county and
was on the market few days earlier
than usual.
The season has been favorable to
the development of the staple in south
east Texas, and the first bale will
soon be followed by others.
The extreme heat of the past month
through central Texas has fastened |
the growth of the cotton plant, but it
has now arrived at stage when rain
must come or great damage will re-
suit. Even the best titled fields are
beginning to suffer, and the sweep and
harrow should be in daily use to loosen
the SURFACE and fill the cracks as
quickly as they open.
OpOH Jlc WedIucl lOT Jll6 ueAJ
seven days will depend in large
measure the cotton crop of the year
1t has become custom in nearly |
all the cotton markets in the state for
the citizens to make up purse as a
premium for the first bale.
l have not heard of Austin doing
so, but there is still time. The ALI.
ance yard offers advantages possessed |
by few other markets and if pre-
MUM or premiums were offered for
first and second bale, it would still |
further tend to establish Austin's rep
utation as cotton center.
CATCHING HORSES.
There is no occupation in life better
calculated to test the patience and
the moral principles of man than
catching horse that is chad to
CATCH"
Everyone who has had much exper-
fence in handling horses will sympa-
thize with that proposition.
The operation is sometimes a diff
cult one, even in a lot a few yards