The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-12-31

have purchased ROAD machines. scrap
ers, ETC., with which che work is being
done. In connection with this work du-
ring the year four or five hundred short
term convicts We're employed in these
various counties, and some mag over
$15000O in actual cash was expended;
practically all of this money being eX-
pended within the limits of these COIN
ties, so that this money instead Of OPP
pressing people in the form of tax II
be sent elsewhere, is kept in circulation
amongst the people who paid it. And its
expenditure is accomplishing, slowly hut
surely, a public work of enormous i'm
portance and Of permanent value to these
people.
One of the best indications in connec-
ton with this good roads movement is
the fact that in the counties where the
work has already gone far enough to
prove it's advantages, there is little or no
kicking against the tax. And IN that
one of the counties which has gone fur
thest in this great work, viz: Mecklen-
burg. the writer has been unable to find
q single individual who is opposed to this
good roads movement. The unanimlty or
sentiment in that county in favor OF this
work is so strong that should he, IN the
future find q citizen who is opposed to 1t
he would Immediately inquire whether
there was a vacancy in the Morganton
asylum where such citizen could be stored
for time. Taking into consideration
the various counties which have begun
to macadamise their roads, 1t may be
safely said that the opposition to the
good roads movement has decreased IN
proportion as the tax for road purposes
has been increased, and in proportion TO
the number of miles of macadamlsed ROAD
that have been built.
Taking the State as whole, of course,
there is considerable opposition still to
the taxation of property for road i'm
provement. And, strangely enough, as q
general rule, the man who pays the least
tax is the man who does most OF the
kicking. What is needed is a continual
ton of the educational campaign. Our
people must be shown that good roads
will pay, and indeed, that good roads are
a necessity in North Carolina II the
State is to keep up in the general march
of progress being made all over the coun'
try. A rich man can afford to use two
horses or four horses in order to accom-
plish what one horse ought 10 do, but
the poor man cannot, and he must be
led to see and understand the situation
in its true light And in proportion as
this is accomplished his opposition to
taxation for better roads will diminish
until it disappears entirely. This problem
is of more Importance to the farmers
in North Carolina than to any other class
of people, and leading and intelligent
farmers who appreciate the situation
are the ones who ought to be foremost
in pushing forward this educational cam
paign in behalf of better and cheaper
means of transportation from the farm
to the market.
Then, too, we must classify our public
roads. We must first eXpend the larger
portion of our good roads money in the
Improvement of certain important high
ways. We are now trying to work and
improve too many miles of public roads
in proportion to our wealth. We must
select the most important roads and put
these in good condition first, and after
wards do what we can for those of
lesser Importance. And in connection
with these more important public roads
We must have as the standard, as the