St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1892-08-27
GOOD ROADS.

at was practically demonstrates
about fifty years ago that the work
ing Of public roads BY the presen
system Of enforced and unpaid Ia
nor Is failure.
1t may have worked very we'll i,
ancient Egypt, when uDon the cal
Of the rulers scores of thousands o
men had to work upon the publ,
works. quarrying. Blasting and pill
ing up pyramids. receiving ND pa,
for their labor. or thanks for tl,cil
enforced patriotism. hut in tl,i.
age and in this country men will
not work without pay. especial,
for the benefit Of others who do mi
work at all.
Road Overseers call ont men and
they respond Ito keep oat Of jail)
but the work that they do in most
Instances amounts tO nothing. A
few branches are cut and dumped
into the mud holes. and here and
there a general ''hen scratching
indicates where the main body Of
road workers have passed along.
The system is manifestly unjust,
and SO is that enforced in some of
the coast parishes WHEN the entire
burden is piled upon the front pro-
prietOr. who is zcal0usly watched.
bounded on. and reported BY his
more fortunate and often more
wealthy neighbors.
A special parish tax for roads
and bridges; a regular and distinct
organization Of paid labor to re
pair tllem-and you have the only
just and effective system.
A large proportion of our lands
belong to nOn-residen:s, and they
would be forced to pay their share
Of the expense.
A quick illustration OF the prac-
teal workings If the two systems
Is in the following: a owns an
open farm Of 200 acres upon which
he lives and which he cultivates.
Resident upon it are his two sons
and five lab0ring men n: all. includ-
ing himself. liable to road duty.
These eight men are called out to |
work the roads twelve days in each |
year. The direct tax upon the Ia
Dor on his place at 30 cents for
each man per day is SIS. The
place is valued at 5000. On this
his special tax, at say )
mills, would he $40.
A neighbOring tract of 2COO acres
u woodland belongs to d. who is a
nonresident. 1t Is valned at $4,000.
lpon winch he pays nothing for
Dad purposes, either in money or
abOr. His specinl tax. under a
more just system, would he $50.
In addition to the special land
X, . license should he cxacted of
very man. not real estate owners
pom each wagon. cart, carriage
nd buggy, in actual use by him.
nd as in some of the Western
tates . rebate Of One-half of this
&c should be mace upon ali carts |
nd wagons with tires OF broad
'idtll.
The road destroyers are the two :
orse wagons of Northern make, +,
hicl, when loaded with half ton !,
produce, sink their sharp tires 4,
eep into the ground.
The cost Of the outfit Of say three
angs Of rOadworkcrs, inclusive of
tools, tents, carts and :
ules. would Ike about $1,000, and :,
re working expense Of eacl, gang
ten men. with foreman for six
Onths Of each year, would be II
ZOO. The loss OF wages Thy
Gather and lnol,days) on the part !
the men would feed and pay the >
ne Of the mules the year round.
Id to this $1,000, the salary of q "
'nuine superintendent, say $500. T"
e wear and tear and loss In mules g
out 5000, cost Of lumber, new d
OILS. ETC., say $500. and you have
total Of about 5000 per annum. te
Sce-whillikens! we could not
md that" cries the indignent II
xpayer. Well, il you cannot. m
ar only recourse is to stand roads In
1t would not he crctlitable to Al
'hOmey or Asllantec. - Baton Il
'uge Truth. Il