The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1895-09-11
THE PROPOSED ROAD LAW.
A Prominent Citizen who Believes in
Working the Roads by Taxation
Gives Reasons why He Cannot Vote
for the Act Submitted TO the People.


''What do you think of the new road
law that is to be submitted to the voters
of Wake county in November ~ asked a
NEWS AND OBSERVER reporter Of prom
inent citizen on last Saturday.
IL don't know yet" said he, ''but |
have obtained copy OF it and am study
ing it in connection with the present law
in Raleigh township and the general law
that holds in the country districts, and
do not care to express an opinion until /
have found exactly what it means" He
then promised to give us the benefits of
his views after he had finished his exam
ination of the act.
Meeting the gentleman yesterday, he
said: cat your request have put in
writing my views upon the proposed law,
nd you may have them for what they
are worth"
Every man is interested in having
good roa IS, and we can never have per
feet roads unless they are worked by
taxation The road law passed by the
last Legislature, however, is unjust and
tyrannical, and if carried by a popular
vote will owe its ad ption either TO a
and class feeling.
THE effect of the law, from a close
and careful examination of it, seems to
be supplementary 1t repeats nothing
So that man who works the road now
will have to work it then, and citizen
of Raleigh township who now pays a
special road tax will have to pay the ad-
ditional poll and property tax provided
by this law if it is adopted by
the people 1t is true that sec
ton II of this act says "All laws
and clauses of laws in conflict with
this act are hereby repealed" There
were very few clauses even which con-
fiict with this act. "For one law to con
fiict with another it must render it in
operative. When a people pay tax or
render public service, the passage of
another law to tax them would not re-
peal the first unless it was expressly SO
provided in the act, or was so worded as
to make it impossible for its provisions
to be carried out. This law expressly
provides that this tax assessment shall
be kept in separate column on the
tax books" and when collected "shall
constitute county road fund, and gives
absolute control of this fund to the
County Commissioners ''under such
rules and regulations as they may pre-
scribe" (See sections and 6, chapter
AT, laws '95). IL further provides that
they may have discretionary power to
make an appropriation out of said road
fund or even the general county fund to
repair any place in any public road in
the county, and that they "may adopt
any method, plan or system" for work
ing the roads with this road fund.
Could anything be broader or more
elastic? 1t covers the whole ground
aud conflicts with nothing except the
golden rule. It iuficts double tax on
property and polls of Raleigh to work
the roads OF the county.
'The citizens of Raleigh are liberal
minded people and have always been
willing to do their full share to improve
the roads of the county, but there is q
limit to everything, and it Is unjust and
tyrranical to heavily increase their taxes
out of all proportion to the rest Of the
county, aud that too when they are vol
unfairly paying a heavy additional tax
to permanently improve the roads a mile
In every direction outside Raleigh town
ship
an 1894 the taxable property of Wake
county am united to $40, 100 372 OF
this amount Raleigh was assessed at
SIS, $40, SOL, more than half of the entire
county. On nearly this amount the cit
liens of this township have been paying
a special road tax since 1889, nearly six
years, and now they are asked to go to
the polls and vote to pay an additional
tax Of 15c on the 800 worth of property
aad 45c on every poll.
IF the people outside OF Raleigh town
ship desire to be taxed to improve their
roads, they ought to have the privilege,
and if they will have bill passed that
bears equally on all classes, ! for one,
am ready to vote for it.
81 cannot believe the people who live in
the country are willing to vote this iui
quitous additional tax on the people who
live in town. know many of them are
not
''The last Legi .lature passed no less
than five different road laws for
Wake county. If any one who lives
in Raleigh township or within the one
mile extension outside, thinks they will
not be required to pay the special tax
heretofore levied for the roads, let him
read Sec. ., of Chap 325, Laws of 1895,
which says that the intention Of the
Gct is that every person ('inside Raleigh
township and any extension Of said road
district See Sec. H. who fails to pay
his poll.tax shall be liable to work the
road in the same manner as if this law
was not in force This does not apply
to any other part of the county.
Chapter 1926 and chapter 427 were rat
fled the same day. So that at the very
time they we're passing the new road
law, they were increasing and strength
ening the old one"