The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1892-12-15

various departments of labor. super.
intendents of street car stables Will
tell you that gray horses will DO more
work and last longer than horses u
auy other color. Whether worked 10
street cars or express wagons, the
family carriage or the pillow, ne mas
been distinguished for beauty and en-
durance. There is general idea that
Australian horses of cry color are the
NEST enduring because they are not 30
susceptible of heat. The whlte morse
is the most fashionable horse OF the
desert. If the theory can be estapllsheu
that all the renowned trotters Oh
America have descended from Mes
seuger, then Messenger is the most
illustriDus gray horse of the age, tor
his blood has given to the world the
greatest race horses ever known.
In proof of the speed and endurance
of gray horses The Breeder gives the
names and records of eighteen ami
mails of that color, which have become
famous on the American turf. 1t
looks as if there was something IN
color after all.
HANDLING ROAD FUNDS.
One reason why road improvements
through a general road tax is op:.
posed is the fear that the funds would
not be honestly applied, but appropri-
ated by boodlers. That there Is
ground for this fear will be admitted
by all conversant with the admins
tration of public affairs in less favored
parts of our great country.
Writing on this subject an OHIO
correspondent of The Rural New
Yorker says says the farmers
see the present road money
used by politicians to reward the SER
vices of party heelers and ward work.
ers, and they are slow to ask to be
taxed heavily for the creation of a
fund that might go the same road.
In modern politics, and ancient, too,
tor aught know, man elected to an
office Is under direct obligations to
men VIGOROUSLY corrupt. Every pre-
cinct has it's boss who helps to con-
troll nominations within his own party
and often controls many votes at the
polls, and the good will of these bosses
is necessity to the aspirant to Of ce.
The man who gets an Office wants a
second term of course, and often per-
petuity. No sooner Is he in position
that dispenses public favors than he
is made aware of the fact, that If he
hopes to succeed himself, he "musr
stand by his friends" County COM
missioners control the road money.
The petty precinct bosses
expect to be repaid tor all eXertlons
which they made during the canvas
by being given contracts upon the
roads. The law is such that many of
these contracts can be given without
any public bidding. The natural re-
suits is that these heelers are often al
lowed big pay for poor work. They
have matters in their own hands, I'M
less the commissioner is more of man
than politician.
Our roads would be much better il
the money now paid by the people
were more wisely expended. The far
mers know that these are facts and
will be slow TO vote for better roads
until satisfactory answer is given to
the question, "whO is to handle and
pay out the money!" 1 think it
should not be man elected by the
people. Elective offices of a local
character are not usually filled by
men who are as devoted to the peo-
Piles interests as they are to their own.
If a scheme could be arranged
by which the local dispen-
5ers of road money are
not dependent upon the favor of our
political heelers and buns, matters
would mend. The Office should be APP |
oointive. While it would be bad
Dub bile policy to lodge too much power
n the hands of the Judiciary, yet l be-
ieve that nothing short of commits |
lion that is responsible to the judges /
If local or other court would satisfy |
he people that it is businesslike to
yote funds for radical improvement
If the public roads.
GLEANINGS.
Farmers who need big safes to pro-
ect their stocks, bonds, mortgages
md other evidences of wealth, should
,uy them at once as another big safe
combine with a capital of S., 900, 900
las just been formed.
IT is the Diebold-Mosler- Damon
Safe company, and with the Marvin
Hall. Herring company will practi-
ally control all the safe manufactur-
ng business of the country. 1t is to
20 hoped that the party coming
nto power will be able
to legislate against such
rusts-for trusts they all are, work
ng under so many aliases.
Nv
Captain Lugard who has lately
)een in command of Uganda, a large
erritory in Central Africa, in an ad-
iress to the British chamber of COM
nerce the other day, declared that
jhe country was admirably adapted
or raising cotton, ard that
enough could be raised there
10 make Lancashire indie.
pendent of America. Egypt has
his year the largest and finest cotton
crop ever raised in the country. Cot
ton cultivation is rapidly extending
in the southern sections of Asiatic
Russia. In India too, the industry
Is steadily spreading and even China
and Japan are trying to raise enough |
to supply their own needs with cotton
the manufacture of which |