The southern sentinel. (Winnfield, La.) 1883-1910, 1906-05-25
THE puBlIC ROADS.

one of great importance to the
public in every walk of life. |
There is nothing that will so
thoroughly advertise section as !
the condition of the public roads.
The police jury at the last
session passed an ordinance that
will show for itself during the ]
next twelve months. We refer to |
ordinance authorizing the working
of the parish convicts on the
public roads. The number that
could be worked has never
exceeded four and the majority
Of that time the number has been
the minimum number, which is
three. Though they have only
the shovel. pick and ak to work
with, they have proven that if our
roads were properly worked once
there would be no trouble TO
keep them in good condition.
If the overseer who is working
the preselt gang had pair OF
mules, wagon, a wheel scraper,
slip and pillow he could have
accomplished ten times as much
as he has. The time it takes to
come and go from the work is so
much time taken off the road,
whereas ii he had team and
wagon they could work greater
distance from the Jail. The police
jury has shown their willingness
to give all proper assistance in
matters of this kind and we hope
at their next session they will see
their way clear to furnish these
appliances. Then " hen they
have finished up i.ic roads as
proposed in the ordinance passed
at the last session, they could
authorize the continuance of the
work by providing camp outfit
and finish up each road to the
parish line. and in case there
were no convicts to work, au-
thorize the road committee to
employ other labor SO as to keep
the team and .overseer employed.
| During this summer the bridges
and dump or roadway across the
| Dugdemonla and Port de Loup
will be completed and We expect
the bridge across the Saline at
| St. Maurice will also be completed.
and before the expiration of the
terms of the present members OF
police jury they will have in
!. augurated an j accomplished more
good than ever was done in the
| parish, and it will be a lasting
monument to their management.
II One reason WINFIELD has never
been considered as commercial
point by the farmers east of Dug
| demonia was the fact that they
could not bring their produce to
, the town on account of the
/ fearful condition of the public
: roads. especially through Dug
, demonia swamp. We make these
( suggestions SC that the members
of the police jury can think over
| the situation and discuss the mat
. tier with their constituents before
!, their rext meeting. They may
: formulate some plan by which
S more roads could be worked at a
: time SO as to complete all of them.
There are more teams and wagons
ruined and broken and more
delays in marketing produce on
account of the condition of the
roads, than would thoroughly
work every road in the paiish if
= the damages we're computed in
money
II We copy the following from
the Monroe Daily Star show ing
} the sentiment for good roads in
that section. Ouachita parish is
the first parish in North Louisiana
; to take charge of the public roads
and can now boast of the best
roads of any parish in the state:
There is no greater blessing 10
any community, especially those
of an agricultural nature, than
good roads, and there appears
/ to be disposition all over the
State to improve those arteries
and highways of traffic and COM
merce. In Ouachita and many
other parishes the officials have
adopted advanced methods of
working the roads. and the
results have amply justified the
experiments. The Star hopes
that the police jurics of North
Louisiana will all fall in line and
insist upon the Introduction Of
modern methods in road