The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1892-01-13
Good Country Roads and Con-

Good Country Roads and Con-
yicts.
The need of improvement in
the quality of good roads is so
severely felt in every section
that every intelligent effort in
that direction ought to be made.
THE RECORDER has urged this
matter for several years, and
will continue to do so.
The chief obstacle in the way
of obtaining a good system of
country roads has, of course,
been the unwillingness to incur
the necessary expense. If the
people could have been con-
WINGED years ago that bad roads
were more costly than good
ones, a large part of the task of
securing an improvement in
their quality would have been
accomplished.
The public highways should
be worked by convict labor; this
is precisely what the people
want in general, and when the
people become thoroughly con-
WINGED on this matter good
roads will multiply with I'M
exampled rapidity
Our Legislators must stand by
the people on this mattsr-they
will demand it; better methods
of construction and repair are
absolutely necessary; the wol k
is a vast one, but it is indispen-
sable, and it can not be prose
outed too diligently. That
able and conservative journal,
the Asheville Citizen, has the
following to say on the subject,
which we heartily endorse. II
says: "The action of the last
legislature of North Caroliua in
snacting a law whereby certain
classes of violators of the Law
may be put to work upon the
public highways of the ceun,
ties in which their offenses were
committed, is one step in tn,
right direction.
"There is no way in which
the eonvicts of North Caroline
could be utilized with greater
benefit to all the people thnn b,
putting every man of them II
work upon the public roads. Ii
this way they will in no sense
come into competition with hon
est labor, a complaint oftei
heard of late years, and witt
much reason and justice be
cause it cannot be done with
out degrading the largest an,
most deserving portion of on
citizenship.
"There is not an honest labor
or in North Carolina but detsst
the working of roads, and it
more than the truth to say tina
nine out of ten who do work tn
roads do so under protest, an
therefore never do and neve
will do full and fair work.
"And this question of publ
roads is really the most vita
with which the American agri
culturalist has TO deal today.
has been demonstrated by thos
making a study of the question
that the farmers of the Unite
States lose more money ever
year by reason of bad roads
than they pay out in the way {
taxes for all purposes.
"With the convict force Z
the state kept constantly q
work year by year upon tn
public highways, upon a fixe
plan and in a systematic way
North Carolina farmers in a fe,
years would realize that the
were gaining infinitely NOR
than the cost, that of thei
maintenance.
"The Citizen proposes to az
tate this question, and sndeayo
b make IL o distinct issue in tn
election Of the next members O
our state Legislature, and see
It's not possible 10 inaugurate
system whereby North Carolin
may eventually hope to hav
public roads that will be tn
pride Of the state and the great
est blessing that ever came B
the farmer.
"And IL Is hoped that tn
press will lend their aid. r
Al. -. iii =. .