The Opelousas courier., 1901-07-06
Good Roads Convention.

to attend the good roads mass
meeting, held under the auspices
of the Opelousas Board of Trade.
The meeting was called to order
at 1880 by Mayor Littell. who
requested Rev. T. X. Faunt Le-
Roy to offer prayer. Mayor Lit
tell afterward explained the OBJ
ject of the meeting to be the
preparation and adoption of Il
road ordinance to be submitted to
the police jury at its meeting be-
ginning last Monday, and the APP
pointment of a committee to serve
with a committee appointed by
the Board Of Trade to present the
proposed ordinance to that body
and urge its passage. Organiza-
tion was then effected by elccting
DR.. W. +. CIopton, of Morrow,
as chairman, and j. J. Healy and
Leo Mayer as secretaries.
The Board of Trade committee,
which is composed of JAS. y.
Chachere, A. G. Skiles, j. A.
Haas and NJ. L. Swords, through
Sheriff Swords read a report urg-
ing the passage of the proposed
ordinance by the police jury, and
also read the ordinance. The
law as proposed was almost sim
liar to the one enacted by the po-
lice jury of this parish two years
ago, Sut shortly afterwards re-
pealed. 1t provides that the par
ish shall be divided into eight
road districts corresponding to
the eight police jury wards; that
there be one road inspector, who
shall supervise the work on all
public roads; that the roads shall
be built by contract, same to be
awarded to the lowest responsible
bidder; that one mill of the gen.
eral parish taxes be set aside for
the building and maintaining of
the public roads; that additional
revenue for said purpose is to be
supplied by Il graded vehicle tax
and per capita tax of 81 on
every male citizen between the
ages of Is and so years, said tax to
be expended in the wards in
which it is collected; and fl
nally provides for the enforced
collection Of said vehicle and per
capita tax.
j. w. Lewis, G. l.. Dupre and
E. F. Gayle then addressed the
meeting on the subject of good
roads, making strong pleas for a
change from the old system of
road working to the one proposed
by the ordinance, after which the
ordinance was adopted, and a
committee was appointed to serve
with the Board of Trade commit
tee in presenting said ordinance to
the police jury and urging its
adoption.
A parish Good Roads Associa-
ton was organized with DR.. WE.
Clopton as president and L. A.
Sandoz as secretary-with a vice.
president from each ward. The
meeting then adjourned until 4
O'Clock, when Jas. 0. Chachere
was to give practical demonstra
tion in modern road building near
the town, but a heavy rain pre-
vented this feature from being full
ly carried out. Mr.Chachere, who
is not easily daunted or dismayed,
nevertheless went out with road
machine to the spot selected, and
in spite of almost insurmountable
difficulties conclusively demon
strated the superiority, Of the new
method over the old one.
The two committees went before
the police jury on Tuesday after
noon and that body, after hearing
what they had to say, appointed a
committee to examine and report
upon the proposed measure. That
committee reported on Wednes-
day, recommending the appoint
ment of one Inspector for each
ward, instead of one for the en-
tire parish, and deferring the en-
]. forcement Of the ordinance from
/ October 1901, to january, 1902.
! The police jury took no final ac-
| ton. but adjourned until Monday.
4 The ordinance submitted to the
police jury is a good one. It goes
i before that body with the en-
i dorsement Of a large number of
our prominent and progressive
Icitizens, and should be adopted
without change. Il the police jury
changes the provision for one
road Inspector for the entire par
ish Contained in the ordinance
as submitted) to one for each
ward, it will look as though they
B were providing 'sopso for their
political friends at The public ex-
pense, and if they defer the oper-
alton Of the ordinance until Jan
I nary they will make another dis
astrous mistake. We earnestly
I hope they viii do neither.
!. IA bad complexion generally re-
suits from inactive liver and bow
IleIs. In all such cases. Dewitt 4