The Lafayette advertiser. [volume] (Vermilionville [i.e. Lafayette], La.) 1865-19??, 1898-09-10


Cles of every description n poll tax on
every able-bodied male citizen, and be-
sides even two or three mills tax on all
property, would maintain out public
roads in condition worthy of the press
ent progressive age. A good road-grader
with 8 or 6 mules and two men will do
the work which is generally done by 80
men under the present system. This ma
chine certainly gives much better shape
to the road. besides a good drainage,
which are the principles upon which
roads should and must be built. The exsl
sef4eiaet. nee We lave had in the past slea
serve us, and Ne should PTodt 6Y' It III
the future. - ss-as4~
The old way Of buiiding roat's besides
being failure, has been henvy burden
and tax, which always or nearly always,
fell upon the shoulders OF the poorer
class of people. Twelve days OF hard
work is rather a heavy taA Tor Il man who
has no property-particularl when that
imposition has proven beyond doubt
an entire failure, and caused 20 much
contention and dissatisfaction.
1 believe that bicy cles should 0e taxed
at so cents each, gigs at so cents. buggtes
at Is cents. and wagons S1.OO and there
should be levied for road purposes q POLL
tax of $3.50 ON every male person be.
tween the ages of 16 and 30. excepting
such persons az are living inside c0rpOl
ration, as towns maintain their own streets.
To this add two mill tax, and with
proper management we will have means
to keep our roads in first.class condition.
feel satisfied that the improvement 10
:be roads will be 90 great that within two
or three years the tdx.can be cut down
one-third.
To prove that 1t 10 better TO build roads
by taxation rather than the inadequate
and inefficient manner now in force, lei
us think moment and consider who ID
actually paying the road tax under the
old system. and how much 10 being paid
in comparison with the proposed means.
| II q wagon is broken or q horse crippled
because Of the horrible condition Of the
roads. 10 il the driver Ur the owner Who
pays for repairs to the vehicle and damx6e
| to the animal1 Who pays for The loes Of
| timef say 1t 10 always tho owner Of
and suffer the damages. There. 10 no d.
viding up the expense with the Other
people who use the road. or should have
kept the road in proper condition. There,
fore. it 10 infinitely better to pay the tai
every year than to loose double OF triple
the amount thereof every winter and
spring BY reason Of the bad rosds. and
that too after doing your paft Of the worl
on those roads. ~ Ass
I would suggest wide roads. aud
that they be kept well aud thorough
Ily drained. By blowing the edges ol
the road and grading towards ths
center, you will necessarily BE- making
the required bitches. and not, - d
the past, making the nam drain i
the middle of the road. A road
should be 40 feet wide ia level lan(
and in very low places 80 feet woul(
be better.
! I think wide road washes OF leaI
than narrow one, the rush or how d
the water not being 90 rapid. Besides
in wide road you are not compellel
to travel in the same place, and cal
pick your way FIRST to one side an(
then to the other. But it you have
narrow road you are obliged to travel
in the same track and necessarily
cause bad rut, and soon buggy
hole is made with wide roads there i
less danger Of one running into an
other during a dark night and there
fore the danger to travellers is lessenet
particularly if these are ladiee, which
is often the case.
| Everything ready at the Gerac's Gin I.
receive and gin cotton: