The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1895-09-12
the NEW WAKE COUNTY ROAD Law.
Inc frovissoss which VIII he In Y.re. n
adopted "A Special Election Ordered In
November---e0me augxeationa

I'VE w" WINE CUUWTY ROAD Law.
The Provisions which WI, h. ., v =.
adopted "A Special Election Ordered In
Nosember---some sugxeseioos.
In accordance with the provisions Of
chapter 427, Laws 1896, the county
commissioners Of Wake county have
ordered special election to be held in
the county next November on the road
question.
The law under which this action Ia
taken provides for the levy of special
TAX not exceeding forty-five cents on
the poii, ana hfteen cents on the hun
areo collars worth Of property. This
10 De collected by the sheriff in ad-
uItion 10 all other taxes, provided a
majority of the votes cast shall be afor
adoption OF the road law"
The law further provides lin case NJ
adOption) that all persons in the
county Jail for minor offences. and ali
persons sentenced to the penitentiary
from the county for a less term than
nve years, shall be put to work on the
pubic roads under the direction OF the
county commissioners. The fund that
may De derived from the collection of
the special taxes may be expended by
| the county commissioners for machin-
cry, wages, &c.
| The CAUCASIAN is a most earnest ad-
vocate OF good roads. or all things
possible We know of nothing that
| would cause better and greater ma
terlal and social development in the
county than a good road system But
1t must be good. An effort to build
roads without sufficient force, or with
inadequate equipment, would result in
a dead failure. A further result would
be disappointment among the peo-
pie. TheNwOuld probably lose conf
dence and interest in the Undertaking,
and the good roads movement" would
get setback from which it would not
recover, in some communities, for
years.
1t seems to us that the adoption OF
the law in Wake county, generally, at
the present time, cannot result In pro-
viding force and equipment that
and equipment that would be available
would not be sufficient to make much
progress in any part of the county
and perhaps while it might be engaged
kin one section, another section would
get up complaint to the effect that
the Taxpayers there were entitled tt
as much consideration as any Other
section of the county. Then to quiet
the rumpus, part Of the force wOult
be moved there and another part here
The consequences would be nothing
but dissatisfaction and disgust. "GOOt
: roads" would be condemned as a hum
bug. The law would be denounced I'M
til it was repealed, and then year
would elapse before "gOOd road
5 movement" would receive the supper
, and confidence of the people again.
If the county were very thickly set
tied and polls were numerous; if tn
property all over the county stood at
high value, then there would be n
possible objection to the adoption o
the law; for the receipts from the spe
cial taxes would amount to fund suf
e ficient to justify the undertaking 0
s good and permanent work. But unde
present conditions it would not be ia
wrong to say that in most parts Of tn
county, the t.xes that would be col
j lected along ten miles of road wOul
J, not pay for putting two miles of tina
; road in such a condition as would com
mend itself as a sample of goo
3 roads,"
J. Further: The adoption of the la,
n would result in breaking up the fin
system of road-building which ha
been i'm progress in Raleigh TOWNSHIP
u for some years, and Is now going Oh
Raleigh township mot including tn
v corporation of the city, is quite thickl
10 settled. Values of property are hig
and the consequence is that the speci:
)r road taxes, collected under the preSel
te township road law, along one mile I
n road, will average about enough
build one mile of Macadam highwa
- The roads have been improved graz
D. ually until they are immensely bett'
rs than the streets of the City of Raleig
n AS fast as it can be done, the bnildiT
of these roads is being extended GU
'o ward from the city limits, and it is
IN now that people coming from the cou
rs, try with loaded vehicles strike, with
mt from three to four miles of the cit
\ these good roads, which prove reli
to the people and great comfort al
IL rest to horses that may be firing o
It's and breaking down. If this system
n. not interfered with, these roads W
en- be st. adily extended outward, thus
y" creasing the comfort and cOnvenien
m, of all WHO come to the city with lOa
IN of produce, &c. On the other hand,
as the law for which this election is call
should be adopted, the present syste
70. of building and extension from Rs
al eigh would be broken up, and it
at quite safe to say that there would n
lot be five miles of genuine good ro
=, made elsewhere in the county in ii
" years.
he These suggestions are offered for t
ut consideration of the people of wa
no county. We would be glad to publ
opinions and communications frt
any who NAV be interested.
Ird "
NJ Pall