Woodville Republican., 1903-04-04

Dear Nr. Editor. r.-Bad roads
have been vita as 30 constantly
this winter that al country families
have been in q state Of s;ege BY
Cen. Mud, and consequently ones
thoughts have turned the more eas-
lily 10 the road problem. II Is, in
deed, most knotty problem. and
one that / do not expect to cast
even a small light upon, but I hope
to put our bigger brains to work on
this most important problem and
question, and perhaps some Moses
will arise to lead ms out OF the will
de:ness of impossible roads.
Wilkinson county is not singular
in her impossible roads this winter,
as the whole southern country has
felt the mud affection; and many
sections have had and are having
much more serious consequences
from impossible. mud canals-roads
and streets by courtesy. So, with
the wettest winter on record. there
is no sense In trying to place blame
here or there. So let's let the
dead past bury it's dead" end be
up and doing to improve the state
Of affairs for future winters, Let
US profit by this years experience
and not get caught again in so hor-
rid plight.
! wish that the statistics OF what
the bad condition OF the roads have
cost the people Of Wilkinson coun-
ty were obtainable, aud then we
could make a very pretty example
OF the case; as it Is we will have to
content ourselves with the knowl.
edge that every broken buggy,
wagon or jumper, every strained
and injured horse or mule or OK
every lost hour in a mud hole
every lost day OF man and team by
having TO haul one.half and even
one-quarter loads in place of full
ones. and scores OF other losses too
numerous to mention, are all road
taxes just as much as the S. per
capita tax Is. To state 1t briefly,
the taxpayers of this county are
paying thousands.of dollars annual
ly In road taxes exclusive OF the
So tax. and of which they get not
one dollar In return. We are pay
ling thousands Of dollars annually
In tolls Of wrecked wagons and
teams for the privilege of hauling
half loads at a double cost. You
can double the load and half the
cost on good roads.
What ! want to get to Is the fact
that II would be better for Wilkin-
son county to pay out thousands Of
dollars more for the roads then she
Is paying, II by that means she can
save her taxpayers from dumping
into mud.holes many more thous-
ands of dollars than would put aud
keep the roads In fine shape. I do
not think any reasonable man will
dispute that fact.
have heard on the streets that
In August the Board Of Supervi-
sors would have to put the county
back to the old system OF overseers,
that there was not enough money
to continue the contract system. I,
for one earnestly hope and trust
that the Board will not permit old
Wilkinson to make step back
ward. ! think 1t would be an un-
qualified mistake to go back--the
contract sysrem Is along the right
lines. It may not have worked
very smoothly the past two years,
as all parties were new, but with
the knowledge that the Hon. Board
has gained, and with tried aud ex-
perienced contractors to do the
work. everything should work fne
in the next term of two years. l
know OF no one who wants TO 60
back to the old system. I have
heard many negroes say that they
would rather pay IS than to work
the roads. AS for your humble
servant, he would rather pay twice
that than travel the roads so work
ed. ! also heard that the Board
was collecting the maximum road
taxes allowed by the state law; 50
what Is the poor Board 10 dor 1t is
surely bad case.
However, the time Of the tax as
SCISSOR IS now upon rs. aud the Board
might suggest to him that there
are q great many rifles. pistols,
guns, watches. ETC., that do not
pay any taxes. Also that land
values in this fine old county are