St. Landry democrat., 1890-09-27
Yes, Bob thought he saw, and after
wards told his friend Patty she was very
good adviser Western Christian Adoo-
cate.
Good Roads.

Good Roads.
Throughout the country there Is an
awakening to the value ana neeo oi sooo
roads. This week received from mem
ber of the Mississippi Legislature care reqaess
for copy of the road laws OF limos, .hae ne
heino nleased with some features OF that
law which I had stated in an article. Al
most everv week receive letters about the
hast means of improving highways. Ih1s
corresnondence is but one of many 1ndlca-
tions that the public mind Is alert on TINS
snhiect. This is q most gratifying state OF
affairs. We should do what we can TO
Keen the ball rolling until the public are
educated as to the value of good highways
snd the best methods of procuring them
There is no need to argue that our high,
wavs are very poor. or that If we could
have good highways economically mace
the expenditure would be highly proht-
able one. Making good highways is not
deadening capital. Good highways are
useful. This is point that should be
made prominent; also, that making good
highways increases the value of the prop
ertv in the neiehborhood A man will pay
more for a farm after the roads leading 70
nearby towns have been graveled than ne
would Day for it while those roads were OF
dirt oniv. The farm will be increased In
price by an amount equal to the cost OF
the highway improvement, if the improve
ment Is wisely made. There is no senA-
ment about good roads. Improving Inc
highways is o matter OF business. we
agitate for highway Improvement because
such improvement, properly MADE, Is
financially profitable. 1t Is q matter OF
dollars and cents, and of profit. we nave
spent enough on the highways to MAKE
them much better than they are. But the
labor and money have been largely mis-
spent; and this is nearly altogether due 70
| defects in our road laws. Those laws nave
been changed In some States. and some OF
the changes made have been clearly ioi
the better. The new laws have been tes1eo
long enough to make results certain. we
cannot have good highways so long as 'ne
man navs his road tax with labor half Of
the tax will not be paid. Eaough men
will shirk to make only half the tax paid.
Mon thst would be ashamed not to do q
GOOD davis work for neighbor In his pri-
vste business see nothing wrong In de-
fraudiue a nelghbor in his capacity as
part of the public. Men that make full
hand in their own or their neighbors' fields
do lust as little work as they can on the
publics (their and their neighbors) high
ways Working on tho highways becomes
almost frolic. Very many do very little
work and of the work done, mach Is done
poorly. slovenly. Hence, the first change
is to have the tax paid in money, not IN
labor. Then it will be paid. Justice will
be done to all none can shirk. When the
tax Is collected in money the highway
authorities can let the work In lots to low,
est RESPONSIBLE bidder. This has been the
law in Illinois for years. LII bridge is 10
he built specifications are carefully drawn
and bids are advertised for. The work is
carefully supervised, and NO monev Is to
be paid, OF is paid, until the work Is COM
pleted according to the specifications. The
highway is divided into lots and specitica-
tions are drawn. stating the amount OF
grading, ETC., to be done on each division,
and this work is let by divisions to the
lowest responsible bidder. The result is
that the tax is collected In full, while the
work is done at low figures. Men make
road work business and provide them
selves with implements that the public,
under the old law, could not economically
handle. Hence they can do certain
amount of work at less cost than the pub
lie could do 1t under the old reg .me. Com
petition is sharp among them, and now W.
get q bridge or certain amount OF grad
ing for one half Its former cost
Our old law provided for the division o.
each township into districts, to be bossee
bv an equal number of road overseers
;. elected annually. As the domain of escf
overseer was small, and as he got only fai
wages for an ordinary farm hand, there
was neither honor nor profit In the posi-.
ton. the men competent to supervise roaf
work would not have the office, and 1t wa:
filled by some man who was af6icted will
theories about road work which he wishet
to test at the public expense, or by one
these men that will not work for them
selves, but are great workers at barn rails
inps and funerals. Hence it was rare tha
the work was wisely directed, and usual.
the overs eer took pains to undo the worl
of his predecessor. OF course the high
ways Gid not improve under such treat
ment. The law which has been in fore
: for some years abolished the road distric
and the office of road overseer. We hav
three highway commissioners for eac
: township, elected for three years, one be
1 ing elected each year. Hence always Q
least two of them have had some expert
8 ence in their work. AS their authorit
and responsibility are considerably create
and their pay is much better than the ol
oyerseers's, men of far better judgmer
and of greater intelligence accept these pc
D sitions. Hence the labor to be done
Q much better planned and executed, an
i, the work of one year Is not undone tn
next.