Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-03-17
THE QUESTION OF THE HOUR.

More roads and better roads. We must
have either by the issuing of bonds or by direct
taxation.-[ Limestone New Era.
Our county roads are in a deplorable
condition, and more than ever cry aloud for
some change in the present road laws of Texas,
which will afford the travelling public good roads
the entire year. Willis Index.
Good roads cannot be had without
money. AS it is not good idea to issue bonds
when it can be avoided, the only alternative is
to vote for the amendment next November. Your
ticket will read that way if You are really in
favor OF good roads and bridges.-l Thornton
Herald.
The time has come when Texas must
have God public roads. There has been and
are numbers of plans suggested as to the best
means o securing these, but nothing has been
accomplished so far. The convention of county
judges and commissioners which is called to
meet at Dallas on the Sth of next month prom
Uses TO at least pave the way for some definite
action In this matter. 1t is therefore of the
greatest Importance that it be attended and the
matter thoroughly ventilated, that when the
legislature meets a bill be presented and
passed that will give general satisfaction
plano Inquirer.
The log cabin has given place to the
white painted, green-shuttered villa; the OK
wagon has been retired to make place for the
pleasure carriage. Dollars now fill the leg of
the stocking where before pennies ard dimes
scarcely bulged its toe. Ignorance retreats in
the presence of the new schoolhouse, and cult
ure has driven away all that there of
boorishness.
a city without means of getting to the coun-
try and country without way of reaching
the city are both hoeing in a row full Of
stumps.
There should be united effor, to make good,
well graded dirt roads. The country viii thereby
be developed and placed within easy reach of
city advantages, the city can get out to the
country, and both will reap material BELTS,
while posterity will bless and revere the judi
cious action of their fathers in 50 doing. couu-
try is known by it's roads in st as man is known
by his deeds. The r Imans would be remem-
bered by the Via RomanUm. even if history was
silent in regard to the empire Let US, too, build
monument.-ITempleS Sun.
The present road law Is not only sig
nal failure, but is extremely unjust. That it's a
failure as means of securing good roads has
been demonstrated, and the clamor for better
roads is heard on every hand. 1t is unjust, be-
cause it demands a road tax of minors, who are
not supp osed to own dollar, and excuses the
man past the age of forty-hve, although he may
be worth a million. 1t is unjust because it re-
quires as much road tax of the day laborer as it
does of the landlord who may own half a county,
and who derives greater benefits from good
roads. The only just and equitable way and the
only way to have good roads is to levy an ad
valorem and poll tax for the purpose, and let the
contract to the lowest and best bidders requiring
gilt-edged bonds for keeping the roads up to
SpecifCatIons Contractors provided with
proper outfit of tools and machinery could keep
the roads in 100 per cent. better condition with
Cne-hat the present outlay - Clarendon Trav-
eler.
In making our wagon roads two systems
are used. One by direct taxation the other by the
credit system, the issuing of bonds. The first
system has never been a complete success in
Co.
upon the individual laborer alone to work them
and as long as our legislators keep this law on
the statute books and ignore the taxing of prop
erty to help work our public roads, so long we
will be without good roads. Our legislators
might-judging from when it was ten days-put
the tax on the individual up TO fifteen or even !
twenty days a year and still would not get !
good roads that way, simply because man |
with MS hands alone can MAKE good wagon |
road and our laws at present do not require any
thing else to work the roads, he may bring |
with him hoe, an ak, a shovel, or a |
sCythe to work with and our rains would wash |
the dirt back into the cutters about as fast he
could make a road with these articles. Our road |
laws are sadly deficient in that they require no !
teams, horses or mules, no plows, no scrapers |
or carts to help work the roads, and yet no |
good roads can be made without them, yet there !
is provision in law to get them out to help |
work the roads. The young man in his minority |
complains bitterly because he is now taxed |
three years of that time i've days each year to
work the roads, when his time is not his own, |
taxation without representation, so it is unjust.
But here in Texas now that thing called property
is held sacred from helping to work the roads,
when nothing is more benefited by having good |
roads, yet it is exempt from working them or
paving its share to do it. This is an Injustice to
the laborer having property interests. To
issue county bonds to make good roads might be
one way to equafize the burden of making
good roads, but the disease of injustice !
to the Iaboring man having no property would
still exist unless the present law changed. |
The bond system is Objectionable in that it is
living mortgage on the property of the county
for years to come, while the roads must be kept |
up the same as ever. On the whole there is no
better way to make good roads than by direct |
taxation and make each interest pay its Just
share of taxation-the individual and properly
aIike-each is directly interested, and the proper
proportion to each would be about three days
work year for the individual and 10 per cent.
ad valorem on all property to work the roads, |
allowing each person team, pillow, scraper or
cart so much a day for his work. This is
the law in many of Northern and Eastern !
states at present and it works well there. Such |
believe would soon make good roads in
Texas.-tNatt Stevens in Forney Tribune.
The Landowner n Tenant