Daily Texarkana Democrat., 1893-12-21
PUBLIC ROAD BUILDING.
valuable Results on a Subject in
Which Arkansas is Deeply
Interested.


Which Arkansas is Deeply
Interested.
The investigation of road manage
ment and road construction through
out the United States, now being con-
Quoted by the agricultural department
of the Government, at Washington,
is meeting valuable results, in which
every state in the Union are directly
interested, and none more so than
Arkansas.
The cooperation of Governor, sec
retary and geologist of each state in
the Union, of railroad officials and
other persons has been obtained aud
they show a warm interest in the
work. Many members of congress
have also responded to the circulars
sent out by Assistant SecretaryssWillet
and Gen. Roy Stone, special agent in
charge of the inquiry
State geologists are beginning to
supply information, and fifty railroad
companies have sent in reports of en-
gineers or other officials This infor-
nation is being tabulated and when
all has been received the office will
prepare map showing the location
and cost of the best road materials
throughout the country, A bulletin
outlining the new roads, laws in four
teen states, and giving the recommen-
dations made by influential public
bodies, not yet carried into legislation,
has been completed and will soon be
issued.
The advance in road legislation, the
bulletin, proceeds on ten distinct lines,
more rigid provisions for operating
the old systems, without a radical
change of the systems themselves,
more liberal tax levies, subtitute of
money levies in place Of labor, local
assessment according to benefits, for
the construction of new roads, con-
stluction by townships with power to
issue bonds, construction by counties,
state highway commissions, provisions
for working convicts, direct state aid
to road building and building state
roads. Expert Stone in this bulletin
says;
"The new road law of Tennessee is
considered the best example of theirs
class, giving the county court full
power and direct control over the
whole subject of roads, eliminating the
influence of local politics and gener-
ally prevailing easy going methods.
The court classities roads, establishes
districts, appoints commissioners, and
assesses road taxes. Vermont, New
Hampshire, North Dakota and Oregon
are deemed conspicuous examples OF
the class of increased taxed levies, the
last named allowing the county courts
to levy a special tax Of fifty cents on
the 800 and 81 per head for county
road fund,
The abolition Of local taxes is abso-
Lutte in New Jersey, and almost abso'
Lutte in Wisconsin. The construction
on the local assessment plan
TO limit of the miles on each line Of
of the road obtains to some extent i'll
Oregon, Indiana and by special acts in
Ohio. In Oregon the county may as
sumo so per cent cost, and in Ohio a
large share is usually placed on the
county list by the act. Extensive con-
structlon by townships has taken place
in Pennsylvania and New Jersey,
where township bonds have been sue
cessfully used. A special feature Of
recent legislation, however, is The
county system. The issue Of county
bonds provided for in New York,
New Jersey, Indiana, Michigan and
Washington, but in the first two the
popular vote is required to authorize
the issue