Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-05-08
GOOD ROADS.
A Question OF the Most Vital Importance
to All Western Texas.
The Present Law Failure-How 1t Might be
Amended to be Made of Some Benefit.
Special Road Tax Needed.
AssOs. TEX, April "a, 1890.

Ne
Editor Gazette:
In the many communications to your paper
touching the solution of the road problem in
Texas, have noticed nothing from the West.
This cannot be from the fact that we have but
little interest in roads, or do not especially
need good ones. The contrary is the case. The
western country is being rapidly populated.
There is a wonderful amount of travel to and
from every part of it, and the amount of FREIGHT
hauled over the roads from the several towns
into the country is enormous, including
as Ii does. not only the necessary supplies for
man and beast, but also every square foot of
lumber for building and every linea1 foot of wire
for fencing; in short, all material required to
develop and make tenable great and extensive
country.
The silence of the West. then, must be based
on the hope that the thicsly populated districts
of the East will solve the problem, for we want
good road law, as well as they, and am conf
dent that good law will ultimately result in
The present law is q failure in our section.
The labor provided for is placed in
the hands of an overseer, gener-
ally man that knows nothing OF road building
the list of hands is imperfectiy prepared, many
escape road duty entirely, while those that are
worked are taken over the road and allowed to
stumps, and probably do little work on the
bad banks, while the main points of difficulty
are entirely neglected. Thus ends the DISPOSE
ton Of the labor provided by law. The funds
arising from taxation avail but little more. If a
bridge becomes necessity, it is paid for from
this fund.- hut instances are rare where it is used
for any other purpose on the roads. It is as q
rule, transferred 70 other funds, and goes
for purposes foreign from what the levy was
made for. Now it seems to me that an improve
ment on the present system might be made by
leyying reasonable tax on all property for road
and bridge construction, and absolutely pro-
hiolt its use for any other purpose; provide by
law for the appointment of a county superin-
tendent Of roads, at fair salary; provide that
he shall be q man that understands both the
location and construction of roads to be eligible
to the Office. Abolish the Jury of view and
present plan OF survey for roads, and lay all on
him (the amounts paid under the present system
would make e good beginning towards paying
his salary. He should have large powers as
to the expenditure Of the road funds
but should be duly checked by the commission
ers' court; all labor should be done under his
personal supervision He should employ and
have power TO discharge any who work on the
roads, except that any resident of the county
should be permitted to work ont q part or all OF
his road tax at the rate paid to other hands
provided he does faithful service. tax of 4
certain amount ought 70 be provided for resi-
dents OF the several counties who do not nav
taxes on property, said special tax to be a part
OF the road fund only; this is Just, whether
practicable or not. as they are benefited
in common with others And in connection with |
this law should be 3 positive requirement to |
work county convicfs on the road for the nav
nent OF fines imposed and not paid.
Under this plan the superintendent could be |
made the busiest and one Of the most useful Off
GERS in the county and the roads could be vastly
improved, as the means could be concentrated |
wSere it is needed, and not wasted where it Is |
not. MARTIN DUvALL.