Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-03-02
COUNTY ROADS.
The Amendment of the Constitution the
Key to the Problem.
Local Option of Additional Taxation the
Solution for Obtaining a satis-
tory SYST EN- of Roads.
GRAPEVINE, Tex, Feb. 2s. 1890.

&, E&,,
To the Gazette.
have read the many communications in your
paper on county roads, and find with but two
exceptions that the writers pass by the key to
the question of read improvement, viz. the
amendment OF the constitution. This provides
fer increasing the road fund, and giving the
people If each county the right of adopting and
controlling the system and construction OF
roads, the raising and using ofmoney in making
the improvements. There can be no doubt by
the use of money, machinery and labor that
good roads can be made. but there must be
way to obtain these, and that way is obtained by
adopting the amendment to the constitution, for
1t provides for the money and the system. After
the a option of the amendment there
can be an agreement upon plan
know what means can be used; but it may be
said by some we will not have money enough to
build frSt-class roads or improve all the roads
at the same time. Admit that this Is so. but the
answer is, because you cannot have a macadam-
lied road is no reason that you should not have
a good, effective, dirt road; and because there
Is not money sufficient the first year TO improve
all the roads, that the leading roads should not
first be improved, and then the others in the
order of their importance of claims.
The present cons itutional tax for roads and
bridges is Is cents on the SI00, which cannot be
exceeded. Adopt the amendment, and the fund
will be Increased by an addition of Is cents for
roads only, then take from the present. tax 10
cents. ana you nave a IuDu % cents on the S1OO
Tor roads. Now, what sum would p cents
on the taxable property of Tarrant county give?
This question answered you will know how
much money your annual road fund would
be. If you were thinking about build
ing a house for your home, the first
question Won would ask yourself would
be how much money have / for this purpose, and
after ascertaining this fact, you found that you
were not able to erect a house of large dimen-
sions, would you refuse to erect a smaller one,
that would be in every respect comfortable one
for yourself and family, or leave them out of
doors because you could not put up the house of
large dimensions?
Now, what rights does the amendment conferf
1t confers the right of the property taxpayers
of a county saying whether they will be taxed
not exceeding Is cents (additional) on the 500
for improving the roads of the county, and
through The legislature having its own system
of roads under the control OF the county.
After the roads are constructed the tax can be
abolished and the roads may be kept in repair
under the general law If the people of the county
will. It confers the right of local option on
each county on the subject of taxation and roads
does not force an objectional law on the counties
that do not want it. 1t removes the difficulties
existing and will always exist under general
road law growing out OF the diversified surface
and material OF this extensive state, for
no general law can be made efficient
acceptable to one section would be
Objectionable to another-consequently local
option is The solution for obtaining an efficient
and equitable system of roads. say equitable,
because the county that wants the tax can lay il
and stop it when the object Is accomplished; and
amendment to she constitution by the people at
the next general election. / have given this
road question some thought, and these the
hastily written views Of A FARMER.