The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1890-05-08
PUBLIC. ROADS.
TOLL ROADS ONLY SUITABLE FOR
NEWLY DEVELOPED COUN-
TIES.
Travis County is So Fixed She Can
Issue Bonds for Turn
pixies.

speaking of the methods of support
ing roads, says: All methods, di
rectly or indirectly, depend upon tax
alton in some form or other. When
the roads are established as toll roads
by labor levy, by an ad valorem tax
by poll tax, or by bonds, 1t is tax
still, and the method that gives the
best roads should be the one adopted
Toll roads are so well understood
that it is not necessary to devote
much space to them, especially as the
laws Of Texas make no provision for
them. 1t is sufficient to say that
they are established according to the
provisions of charter obtained from
the State by company that expects
the tolls allowed by law to pay good
interest on the money spent in max
ing and maintaining them. The
history of toll roads has demon
strated the fact that they are suit
able only to new developed country
where any other road is out of the
question. The greatest trouble with
them has been the failure of the COM
pany to make repairs. 1t is but
reasonable to suppose that where the
company has to pay for the repairs
that are made, that 1T should restrict
these repairs to as few as possible.
Even where the law provides in case
of failure forfeiture of the charter, it
has been found almost impossible to
force them to make the repairs. How
ever, there are cases where it has
proved signal success. An objection
to them from social point of view
was recently mentioned by Professor
Shaler. When the members of a COM
have to pay for every ride they
take, it is highly probable that they
will restrict these rides. This could
have but one effect, and that would be
to dwarf all social intercourse. How
ever, this objection entirely dis
appears if annual fees are paid.
Another method, partially adopted
in some portions of our States, is
tax. There is certain
tax every year known as the county
road tax, which is under the control
of county officials and is paid out to
certain districts on condition that
this district raises certain specified
amount to supplement the county
fund. This depends on the principle
Of helping him who helps himself.
One district is helped one year and
another the next.
The labor tax or labor levy system
is so universally adopted that it needs
more than a passing notice. AS usu
ally carried out in practice it is very
defective. In theory it has the same
defects that are urged against poll
tax. The work is under the control
Of an overseer, who generally knows
but little about the principles
Of road making, except what ne
has learned by discharging his few
lays of assessment from year to year.
AS everybody knows, the day is fooled
away in discussing politics or retailing
the latest gossip of the country. AS
effective work the days labor is not
worth over three hours good, honest
work. 1t is defective because there is
40 central authority to direct and
plan. 1t has seemed to the writer for
some time that county road tax
by the labor tax would
prove effective here in Texas. First
Of all there must be county engi-
neer or some county Officer well
skilled in the science of road making.
The labor levy as now understood
could be so changed that each indi.
gidual be assessed so much money
With the privilege of paying it or
it out on the basis Of the
amount of work done and not the
lime put in. This has long been the
practice in France. The engineer or
IN able assistant could direct the work
Ind see that none is wasted. The
custom of working all the men on one
lay should be abolished, as large
body OF men is unwieldy and cannot
pc handled to advantage. Let them
know that they have so much work to
10, and not so much time to put in,
before they shall have discharged their
annual Indebtedness, and we shall see
I different kind of labor.
1t is worthy of remark here that
his labor tax is used in every State
n the Union except five, and that it
IS used in four of these in cases of
special levy, and that i'll one only Qlli-
,ois) by a vote of the town. Many of
he towns in the State of Illinois do
tote the labor tax. Six of the States
made no provision for money tax.
but rely wholly on the labor levy.
The proposition to raise the money
Tor road purposes by bonding the
has often been advanced.
While it is theoretically very plausi-
Die, there are many difficulties in the
way. Very few of our counties have
sufficient taxable property to float
enough bonds to do much good to the
whole county with the present rate of
road taxation. In Travis county the
estimated wealth is a little over
fourteen million dollars, and the
present bonded Indebtedness for road
and bridge purposes is 1921 900. This
would restrict Travis, then, to about
100000 in bonds. If all counties in
10 Ctoto oo,,ld do tho oar,a f1o