Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1891-01-10

ly passable. Seeing the injustice OF
this, they take but little interest in
the roads, and less in trying TO ac-
complish any work. Hence, work
ing the roads under our present sys-
tenn is a farce. 1t is simply going
on the road To see how little and
how poorly you can do il. The law
requires that two-thirds Of the tax
shall be expended prior to the LIST
OF July. During the month of
June our roads are loosened up with
the plow, aud left in the very best
possible condition to be washed out
by the July rains. This has been
repeated year after year until many
of our roads have become first-class
bitches, through which the poor
beast in wet weather must struggle
in the tenacious, sticky clay that
lines the bottom, and in dry weather
sweller through dust and heat
These roads are utterly at the mercy
of the weather, become passable or
impossible according to it, and are
entirely out Of keeping with the en-
lIghtenmeut aud Intelligence Of the
people, who through apathy patient
Iy endure this state Of affairs.
MAKING ROADS.
Unless roads are mode tirst-cass
to commence with you can never
have them, aud the money You iu-
vest In them is thrown away There
has probably been expended in Iowa
county enough money or its equlva-
lent, time, to have macadamized and
made first class every road in the
county, had it been properly applied.
The first requisite Of good road is
"a dry roadbed. The most destruct-
i've element we have To contend
with IN maintaining roads il water.
Therefore we must see To it that the
roadbed has good drainage. The
roadbed should never be less than
25 feet IN width, with a conyexlty
sufficient TO carry the rainfalls into
the bitches which should be upon
each side. Guard against grading
the road too high. The conyexity
IN no case should exceed one inch
to the foot If possible cover the
grading with loan. If the drainage
is thorough there will be but a very
limited time IN the year but that the
roads will be passable for reasonable
loads.
MAINTAINING ROADS.
Having our road made, we must
not expect 10 keep it in repair by
working Mt 1t but one month in the
year, and ueglecting it the other
eleven, Does the c., NJ ~ st. u.
ny keep up it's system of roads by
putting a force of men CA in the
spring TO ballast up the track and
then neglect it the rest of the year?
Certainly not. Men are kept con
stautly n work, upon the economic
principle that, ga stitch in time
saves uiue," aud this is the principle
that we should adopt if we wish to
Improve onr roauS.
A four mill tax upon the assessed
valuation of Iowa county would
keep one hundred aud twelve men
aud fourteen teams at work tat the
same per diem allowed for working
highway taxes) from the list of May
until The lst Of November. Or i'll
would give 70 each town in the
county "A labor force of eight men
and one team to be kept constantly
making and repairing roads, AT
the end of the season We would by
using improved road-makiug ma
chinery have a showing of ten miles
Of good roads in each town, or a
total of one hundred and forty miles
in the county.
We must get out of the antiquated
way in which We have been working
oar rHads, and step up abreast OF the
progress Of the age IN which we
live. Abolish the district system,
levy and collect the highway tax
with other town taxes, eNpend the
money through road commissioner,
appointed by the supervisors with
reference to his fitness, and let him
do the work under their supervision
keeping small force at work
during the spring and fall months.
Ii it is economy that restralns II
is false economy. Every day that
our roads remain in an impossible
condition i, a direct blow 1t our
own interests. Good roads mean q
regular distribution of products,
and consequently no cessation of
or nc "hard times They
are the sign of eouteutment and
permanent Improvement. The taxes
would return in the improved con
dlJion Of the stock aud running
gear; IN the increased loads that
could be taken 20 market; cirou,a
tion " hich is the back bone OF buSl-
ness would be facilitated, aud whore
now il is hazard and . task TO
yarfurp nm tha pubGc HIGHWAY. II