Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1905-07-08
THE ROAD LAW.

The county commissioners have
again named a long list OF road over
seers for San Miguel county and will
appoint others until each precinct will
have been supplied with a supervisor
who. theoretically, looks after the
roads. 1t will be remembered that
there was a decided effort made Mt
che last Legislature to do away with
the present Ubiquitous law which al.
lows road supervisors In each pre-
clnct--purely ornamental ~personages--
TO draw $50 a year and impoyerish the
road funds OF the county for the pur.
pose of rewarding the faithful.
However, the reform measure tailed
but another measure was passed
which was practically a reenactment
OF the old Objectionable law. II was an
Improvement In so far as II gave rom
missioners the power to effect a
change but unfortunately 1t did rot
compel them to. It provides that the
county may be divided into any oon
venient number Of road districts and
that supervisors be a~ppoin,el for ooch
district.
When the matter came up for settle.
ment In our " county board, Com
missioner X. G. Rankin advocated
making only one district o. the IN
tire country, selecting a soInpt tent
man who would be a supervisor in
fact AZ well as In name, paying him
u salary which would insure a com.
petent official. and using the funds
which have heretofore gone to the
other ~forty-nine supervisors for actual
work on the roads.
It Ia unfortunate that the other
members of the board were unwilling
ia ncu In this plan which would
have insured for San Miguel county
a long step ahead In the matter OF de.
cent roads.
They decided to perpetuate the old
system by voting that each precinct
constitute a district and that there
should be a supervisor over each.
It Is. On the other hand, a matter
for satisfaction that the commission.
ers took an important step in the right
direction by reducing the salary OF the
0verseers from $50 a year to $40 q
year. This will save the county In
tho neighborhOOd Of $4,000 per year.
II the commissioners had gone a lit.
tie farther and made the salary Of the
supervisors as purely chimerical as
are their duties. the result would have
been entirely satisfactory to the tax.
payers. However, we may be gratiied
that reform Is being effected gradually.
And It Is safe to assume that the
taxpayers will soon demand that these
fifty supervisors at $40 per year be
displaced by one or possibly several
men who are actually qualified to hold
such In Office and who will give the
public efficient service.
II Ia a notorious fact the territory
owe that under our old law the road
Overseers never did do any valuable
work. They are supposed to give
bond for the faithful performance Of
their duties. They are also supposed
to collect three dollars from every
man who does not work out his road
tax, They are supposed TO report all
such collections and account for It
by work done ON the roads. As a
matter Of fact the cases where the
taxes are paid are probably as rare as
those In which the road tax Is fully
worked out.
II our county should be considered n
single road district, II an honest, com
petent man should be paid a reason.
able salary for actually supervising
the road work of the county. II the tax
should be generally collected or
worked out, then we might reasonably
expect to have the county roads put
In such a condition that they would be
a boon to the merchant. the teamstee
and those travelling them for pleasure.
The half mill tax. levied for this
purpose. affords sufficient moneg not
only to pay a capable road commits
sioner but also to supply him with
materials and tools while the three
days work or It's equivalent from each
man would supply the labor. This
Is something to look forward to and
to work for.
Our county roads are generally In