The Waco evening news. [volume] (Waco, Tex.) 1891-1894, 1893-04-19
COUNTY ROADS.
,o,rer From County Judge w. H..
Jenkins

oniab, Waco.
DEAR sIR-Your note of 18th
mel, asking how your cub can
h n 60 operate with the county in
v sscuriue better roads, is before me.
In reply l have to say The com
~ ,;ssioners' court is now and for
ayeral years, has been fully alive
- the vast importance of improv-
mo our county roads. We have
n nrs the means furnished by law to
III, n best edvantage possible. With
mr. grading outfit We are grading
all the important roads, AID it has
NJ, been questioned that the work
done has been highly benz fetal, but
we know IL a. this is only the first
step in road building. The graded
rosd should be crowned with rock
or Gravel and not till this is done will
70 have first.class roads. But to
do this more money will be required
than can be raised by tax alton un-
less the people come to the rescue
and vote TO increase the tax. Un-
der Our constitution the commits.
sioners court can not levy Of it's own
motion a greater sum than Is cents
on the 3l0O 90 for roads and
bridges. This barely real zes a suf-
6cient sum to carry on our work
under present plans, and am quite
sure. to b,ndon these'plans would
be unwise ard un Just. BY recent
amendment to the constitution
assoc it is provided that by vote
Of the people an additional sum not
to exceed / 5 cents on the $4,000
may be levied for roads and bridges.
The lection to determine this nes-
ton is ordered by the commission
ers court on a petition of citizens.
Several times have called the al
tention of the public to this pre-
vision and suggested that if it was
desired that additional work should
be done on the re Is that petition
be presented and the question sub
mitted to vote. No petition has
| yet been presented, and the court
can not order the election on it's
own motion. Your club might take
this after in land and wo, k up n
sentiment in favor of the tax and
get up petition to have the ques.
ton voted on.
The reals Of the county cannot
be graded and graveled by taxation
alone. The proper y owners along
the line of the road to be improved,
being specially benz fitted, should,
IN justice, bear greater proportion
OF the cost than those living remote
from the road. For example: The
county grades road and prepares
1t for the rock or gravel. Now say
1t will take $500 to gravel it, the
county should pay one-half of the
sum out of the tax for road pur-
poses, ard the abatting owners
should pay the remainder. This
may not be the just proportion Of
each but it is not far wrong.
have been trying for some time
10 get the property owners along
tne line of some one of the roads
leading into the city to raise by
subscription $500 or 800 per mile
ior a given dis ance, to be used by
the coart in macadam ling their
'oad the court to pay the balance
out OF the rosd tax. The tugges-
'on is being considered in several
quarters, but no definite action has
peen taken so far as / am informed
am al xious to get one road grad
e.a' believing it will make demand
iof suoh impro vement and will re-
sult IN the people voting the in.
crease of tax. l shall continue the
mort to awaken an interest in this
mater, but on account of the other
.ntial duties | can not give to it
Tue time and attention that its i'm
Por'ance demands. l think if your
vluo Will urge upon the people .he
a.9sssIty of increasing the road tax
am the method by which this is to
o =. done, Should you agree with me
u az Is necessary. the best results
nay be anticipated from your
!" 'rIs Yours very truly,
w. ii. JENKINS.