The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1898-02-05
Benefit of Good Roads.

! RODu IOdOS dn CbuSii dlIltl u
enter the discussion, and, briefly Il:
possible, to show where the revenLC
should be drawn from tor the main,
~tenauce OF public highways; and
really, in considering the attaInment>
of our modern civilization, l am OF The
opinion that the ~''problem' OF who
should pay for the maintenance oil
roads, ia the only question in regard to
roads that involves a ''problem, " for i
problem, as | understand it, is some
thing to be considered which is not
generally understood.
l was glad to note the statement in
your last weeks issue by r c., that
1.-THE present general law to work
roads by poll tax is sadly out OF
date" etc. ''Repeal the general road
law; enact instead a law requiring
county courts TO let the road work to
contractors; provide for competent
supervision over said CONTIGUOUS ),
etc., is about correct, in my OPINION, as
to detail of construction; but when he
says further on ''RequIre every voter
TO pay his road lax In money! cam
not possibly agree with MIN, for l hold
that the voter, as a voter, has no right
tn pay taxes, nor to contribute to the
maintenance of roads. l deny that
the voter, as a voter, or the farmer, US
n farmer, benefits directly, in dollars
and cents, by the existence of public
highways. That benefit which he en-
joys by the use of such roads, whether
it be more properly termed Director
indil ect, Is the benefit that all who
use the roads should enjoy, free. 1t is
that particular right and benefit which
the organization of society into govern
ment should secure to all who use
highways. 1t Is, l think, properly
termed Il common right and benefit.
1 am we'll aware that the notion that.
he who uses The roads most should
work them most, generally pervades
the common thought; but it is, in my
~opipion, nevertheless an
idea.
And now, in proof of the facts, as l
have. stated them, l wish to refer to
the thought as drawn out by ''Farmer''
10 a previous issue, and referred to BY
Il. C.. In your last weeks issue. We
will imagine s'Ruads were constructed
by taxation to every railroad in the
county, and that railroads were COM
PEELED by law to carry the farmers
produce free" Now, l hold that this
would not accord with the law of
human rights; and yet if 1t were in
effect, and If the roads were as good as
the ones in the streets of Lexington, or
even better, the voter, US such, or the
farmer, as such, would not getany OF
that direct benefit III dollars and cents
which would flow from the effect of
such improved conditions. But the
benefit of all this improvement would
inevitably flow into the pocket of the
landlord as a and owner, and not as a
user, ever though he owned the land
upon which he farmed. This benefit
would come to him as a and owner, !
and not as a farmer. l think this will
be evident to anyone, from the fact
that the landlord could move to town
and get d higher rent for his farm
than if such improvements did not
exist, for we know that when 1t became
known that such a good condition ex-
listed In Lafayette county many, either
from within our midst or from without,
would want TO farm in this county, and
by the old and well tested law of sup
ply and demand, would cause the land
to Immediately rise in. value, so that
before the renter of land could employ
himself he would have to pay over to
the landlord all the difference which
the improvements cost; and, there
fore, as the whole>of economic govern
ment Is caused by population, public
and general growth, l
hold that it is the wages of society, and
the only fund or wages that society has
q right to and I still further hold that
when this proper fund or revenue is
turned into the public till (belng
assessed and collected by the same
that now exlsts) n used
for the support of government and for
the maintenance of public improve
ments, hat its effect is not that of a
tax, and 1t will be nc tax upon anyone.
Now, I think I have made it plain
that that part of ground rent which is
caused by the existence of public i'm
provement, should through ouI ma
of assessing and collecting be
turned into the public till, and thus
used IN the maintenance and further
construction of such public improve
am aware that the friendli-
ness of the people would be necessary,
md l believe that there Is Il clause in
he state constitution which provides
hat taxes cannot be levied upon any
kind of property alone, or some
hing to that effect; in which case the
constitution in that respect would need
changing.
| have In my weak way attempted to
where the natural, and there
ore scientific revenue, lies for the
of good roads, and who they
would benefit, and l believe that If the
tate would make 1t possible and
lafayette county were to adopt the +,
oregoIng system of taxation, IL would .
De the entering of the Thin end + the
wedge, as other states and counties
would soon follow our example, and an
insPeakably better civilization would :
,e attained, which would make The :
preamble of the Declaration of indie '
lendence no longer glittering general i,
! could go on, but refrain, as | .
IN impressed. that my article Is too :
ong to burden you with, as il Is: =
G.. W. EADINGToN. :