The southern sentinel. (Winnfield, La.) 1883-1910, 1906-03-02
GOOD ROADS
OBJECT. LESSONS
Government will Build Sample
Road Where Materials and
Labor is Furnished.

around the fact that in the near
future the people of VIM parish,
and every other parish as we'll,
must make change in the public
road systems now in vogue.
Rural communities demand bet
ter roads and the towns and cities
must have them as a matter of
business.
1t will, of course, require many
months, perhaps years, to get the
question sufficiently agitated to
produce stable results, therefore,
it is not out of place to keep up
the agitation, in season and out
of season, so as to hasten the
time when we can enjoy some of
the beneficial results.
Winfield and all Winn parish
are interested in better public
loads. but being inexperienced
we must be taught the best and
most economical methods, and
for this purpose there is no bet
ter or economical means than the
demonstration road work being
done by the agricultural depart
ment of our government. The
department has corps of experts
in road building to visit any Sec
ton where cooperation can be
had and build section of road
and give plans and instructions
for continuing the work.
In regard to this work we give
below a letter from our Congress-
man on the subject and shall in
vestlgate further into the matter.
We hope in the near future to
witness some of this good roads
demonstration work in VIM
parish.
The letter Of Congressman
Watkins is as follows:
Washington, D. c., |
February Is, 1906. !
Hon. Will A. Strong,
Winfield La.
Dear Sir:
Replying to your favor of the
18th instant, / will state that a
letter addressed to the Secretary
of Agriculture, stating to him
that the people of Winn parish
are ready to put the material on
the ground free of charge to the
Government, for the construction
of one mile of experimental road:
and requesting of him to know
whether he can send a corps of
expert road workers to do the
work, will put the matter in such
shape that you will get all the
necessary information in refer
ence to it, and it may be get the
mile of road; though l went to
see the Secretary of Agriculture
after receiving your letter and he
stated that he was very much en-
barressed for the want of suffi-
cient funds at this particular
time. However, letter of this
kind would put your application
on file so that it might be reached
in its regular turn, but it must be
definitely understood that the
parties wanting the road will
have to furnish the gravel or
other material necessary for its
construction, and place it on the
ground. The Government furn-
ishes the machinery and experts
to do the work. The town or
parish also furnishing the un-
skilled labor and teams.
Since my election | have used
every effort to procure 4 geolog-
ical and soil survey of every
parish in my district, and have
succeeded in securing such a sur
vey for Caddo and DeSoto, and
have . promise from the depart
ment that the survey will be con-
tined in Vim and the other par
ishes of my district. l am press
ing this question on them particu-
larly IN view. of the fact that the
boil weevil is in my district and
the people must resort to other
means Of support instead of de-
pending on cotton.