The advocate and Topeka tribune., 1893-02-15
THE ROCK ROAD sWTNpLE.

lAture. The life OF the farm Is Che life OF
the nation. Whatever will add pleasure
and profit to the occupation of agriculture
will minister to the health Of the body po-
litic. Marketing produce and taking back
necessary merchandise constitute the farm.
er's traffic department. Intercourse with
his neighbors and freedom of travel are
his bureau of information. Good roads
are to farmers what good railways are TO
cities. The usual policy has been to leave
rosdwsys largely to the counties, and if the
legislature prefers to adhere to the policy
tn ecounties should have an opportunity to
vote on q constitutional amendment author
izing them to raise and expend more money
for this purpose. The federal government
and the states should have officers for COL
lecting and publishing statistics on road
building methods.
1t might be readily expected that
this representative of plutocracy
would, from the democratic side, favor
the iniquity sought to be perpetrated
upon the people through this ever
lasting cry for the improvement of
the public roads. We have reason to
be thankful that there is little probs-
ability that our Kansas legislature
will even consider this road improve
ment scheme. The state of Missouri,
however, is not as fortunate in this
respect. The Legislature of that state
has become very enthusiastic upon
the subject, and unless the people of
Missouri do some tall kicking they
are liable to be victimized by this
fraud. The Daily Wasp of February
8 9exposes the true inwardness of the
scheme as follows:
Senator Cochran hes shown himself to be
the. suppliant tool of the robber bRrons Of
this money power age and has introduced
bill in the Missouri senate which is in
tended to aid the st Joseph and other mil
lionaires to rob the people of Buchanan
county. Similar bills are now before the
legislatures Of ell the Mississippi valley
states ss result of the rock roads robbery
scheme.
The first damnable feature of Cochran's
bill is that the voters within the cities and
incorporated towns are to participate in the
election of three township road commits
sioners-ons of whom is to be resident of
the largest city or incorporated town in the
township-is to have charge of the proceeds
Of all bonds voted and all taxes collected in
the township outside of the city or incOrpo-
rated town.
The law applies TO every township in the
county, exempting incorporated towns from
the payment of bonds voted and giving one
of the three commissioners to the incorpo-
rated town. About all of our little towns
are incorporated.
Coohran's bill also repesls the limitation
of tax levies and allows an unlimited bonded
indebtedness on the townships, not includ-
ing Incorporated towns, end an unlimited
tax to pay interest and principal on such
bonds.
Mat Octopus Cochran'S rock roads bill
also authorizes the township board-one
of them living in the town where the prop
erty is not to be taxed for road purposes
to,divert to the payment of bonds and the
interest thereon, all taxes levied for road
purposes and not otherwise used.
Only one Of the township board is to re-
ceive pay for his work, and he is to be the
road overseer. If that one should live in
the town or city, he will practically have