Amador ledger. (Jackson, Amador County, Calif.) 1875-19??, 1901-09-13

revenue from all sources that has
been collected for road purposes and
actually expended upon the roads.
1t includes the money paid into the
treasury from road poll taxes, but
not the collectors commissions on
such poll taxes. We. venture to say
the figures will be surprise to
many, although it has been well
known to every one who has deal
ings with the tax collector that large
sums were being dumped upon the
county roads annually. If adequate
results followed this yearly expendi-
ture, citizens would not complain.
Every one realizes the benefits
accruing from good roads. But the
outcome of this liberal allowance for
roads meets the expectations of no
one. Only few years back a
clamor was made to get the people
to vote for $50, 900 worth of long
term bonds, the money to be used
for matchmaking the main highways
of the county. 1t was preached at
that time that this sum would fix
the principal roads in good shape so
that very small amount would be
needed annually thereafter to keep
them in repair. The voters did not
take kindly to the proposition, and
voted it down overwhelmingly. A
study of the table herewith produced
will show that they made no mistake
in jumping upon that scheme with
both feet. One hundred and twelve
thousand dollars expended on ANA
dor roads in the past six years, not
reckoning the expenditures for the
current year, which have been I'M
usually heavy. Over $4,000 has
been spent on the lone road and
connecting links in the past three
and half years. Nearly the same
amount has been expended in six
years upon the roads in township
one, outside of the lone road. To
make the showing still more re-
markable scarcely any of this money
has been devoted to the streets of
Jackson. The town residen is have
the privilege of participating in the
payment of road taxes, and are ex-
pected to pungle up for their own
streets beside. In three years end
ing January 1st last, $66, 1872 have
been used upon the roads in Amador
county-an average of more than
S22, 600 per year. What have we to
show for this vast outlay. There is
a noticeable Improvement for more
than half the distance of the lone
road; also the road between Jackson
and AmadOr City is macadamized.
The question is, Ought we not to
have a much greater mileage of
roads permanently improved con-
sidering the amount expended. Is
there not something fatally defective
in the system which gives so little
for SO much cost. We are not
arguing for reduced road tax. We
know that roads cannot be kept up
without money. But we do contend
that the sums we are now spending
and have been spending for years
ought to be productive of more
tangible results. We do not blame
the supervisors who are road COM
missioners in their respective dis
tricts. They are probably doing
the best they can under the circum-
stances. The weakness is inherent
in the road system, not so much in
the men who are at the head of the
system, and who are charged with
the expenditure of the funds. II
seems suicidal to cling to a system
year after year which experience
has proved to be a ruinous one. A
return to the old plan of small road
districts and road-master elected
in each district, would be infinitely
preferable to the one now in vogue.
We hope the people generally will
agitate this subject, and demand
such radical changes as are necessary
to secure a dollars worth of labor
intelligently applied upon the roa6
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