Mexico weekly ledger., 1901-08-01
WOULD Bond FOR ROADS.
J. B. Hawkins Thinks the Work Would
Save Many Families From Want
the Coming Winter.

TO the Editor Of the Ledger.
MEXICO, No., July 29-Wil you
kindly give me space in your valuable
paper while l modestly make a few
suggestions as a way OF an escape out
of the dilemma, through which we. as
a people, are now passing. 1t is said
that necessity is the mother of inven.
tion.n In my professional work l have
travelled over this and several Of the
adjoining counties, and while !
don't want, to be branded as a pes
simist, ! am satisfied we are not fully
approaching what we will later ex-
perieuce to be the extento Of the destitu-
ton among the people Of the county,
and it is but the better part Of wisdom
to look facts sQuarely in the face and
as far as it is possible to do SO to meet
the demands Of the hour. | believe
that / am in the limits Of the facts to
say that there are five hundred
families in the county that will be
dependent upon their daily labor for a
support for the next twelve months,
and many of those r destitute, OF
will be soon, of the necessaries Of life.
II these people r not provided for in
some way, whereby they can secure a
competency for themselves and DEEPEN
dence, the situation will be appalling
in many of those homes, and the i'm
mediate results will be disastrous to
the county.
We have already lost many mer-
chants and able bodied young men
from the towns and county hunting
work elsewhere, and there will be such
an exodus from the county in the
next six months that it will embarrass
the business interests Of the people.
Well, we are asked what can be
done? In answer, bond the County for
fiye-hundred thousand dollars, dis
tribute fairly among the townships
according to the needs and best in
terest of all the county. Place the
management in the hands Of the
County Court and a bonded Supervisor
and subcontractors of roads. Employ
thousands Of men and teams to build
these roads.
They can live on their own merit
and pay a low rate of interest for the
same, which will give them employ
ment while building up their interests
at home.
1t win meet a long felt want and
solve the hacknied, yexed and ever
present question of good roads. The
bonds Of the county can be sold at a
premium and the money obtained at
a very low rate Of interest.
We are informed that some twenty
five or thirty years ago the county was
bonded in the interest Of the c. & A.
r. r. Company for $780, 600. The debt
was paid and the people never felt the
burden. Twice that amount iudiciously
expended would be Of infinitely
greater advantage to the county than
all the railroads that could be built.
Our people show a liberality akin to
extravaganza In subscribing to other
enterprises. Such as schools, colleges,
churches, factories, and what not. Sc
will not the better informed citizens
of the whole country now in the most
practicable way take up this most i'm
portant and far reaching question of
the hourY What say you, fellow
citizens, Of the whole county? Speak
at once. Let the matter be freely dis
cussed through all the county papers.
1t is a subject, especially at this time,
which we should be doubly interested.
If you approve the subject agitate,
agitate. Respectfully,
]. b. HAWKINS.