Times-promoter. (Hernando, DeSoto County, Miss.) 1898-1970, 1906-01-26
TAXPAYER OLIVER
GOES FOR PUBLIC ROADS

contract system for three wears.
The first two years contracts were
made bv the previous board nf
supervisors aud the roads let to
small contractors in links of one
to ten miles. The first mistake
the board made Was not posting
themselves about the amount of
mtney undGr the law Thai would
come Inlo the treasury and seelug
that the number of mile, of roads
~ The County could not be worked
for the amount nf taxes, The
>ecoud error aud The gr,atest one
10 the people Of DeSo,o county
was that The contracts made for
the two wears br The bO,Id with
the contractors did non ltQulre
The contractors 10 give bona FIR
Working the roads Nv piaIt> and
and specifications, The result
was bat the roads wtre uot wurk.
ed UP to contract, with a road
commissioner paid 10 look afler
the Contractors tor fsIp first wear
and each mpmb Der Of abe board to
do some IN bis th>lrIcl The
present BOARD did dn,*i employ The
road com nml>srmrt@ the second
Year, but each member u6lct Iae
law was 10 look after lhp contract
tors In his DISTRICT Tie result
was that t hc roads M jhe' five dis
tl1ct> IN the county wa noi work
ed up to contract The excuse
Was made bv the pre>ettl board
that they could not enforce a cua
tract mnde blythe previous hoard
in which the BOARD csd nnl lnAhu
the contractors SlF9 Uoncf i}0l
could not the present, bo4fd have
cancelled the coI,5H 5rls made ~
the previous I,Oar0: ] tor mort Of
the present UOard Mere new tetn
berS and had 10 c,unH to ltI0 Cailil.
tY seat over tts' Il 81 rldNs lOddS
10 take char&e OF tnealpsHeEs9 ~
the county aud cpl,A bt seen
that the roads We're H ,ttysis ~. 81.
tracl and made new csl,tfacts vii b
bonds for the >econH wear. The
previous board tiu0fna that The
taxes collected wulld net pay
the conlractors-toF fl year
left the road accOunis without a
dollar-borroWed from The gen.
eral county fund to pay the sec
ond years accounts and levied an
extra tax on all real and personal
property to pay the same.
lhe present board for the third
year let The contracts to parties
with road machines, Seven road
contractors III the county and ten
road machines and stock to work
same and contractors under good
bond to work the roads by plans,
and what is the condition of the
roads in the county? Not up to
out the boarl, paid the
last quarter for 1905 on roads that
were not up to contract in width
and center elevation and road
bridges out Of shape and with
water standing on each side Of
roadbed and the couuty bridges
butments higher than the road
bed. This coudi,loupf the roads
were made TO the board by a pro. |
lest OF citizen and taxpayer in
writing, naming the roads and
giving the districts aud giving Il !,
personal account to the board and
laming the places III each road
hat needed work. The board
oaid said bills for last quarter,
800, without notice of protest.
The taxes for road fund was
tarted under the law a three dol
ars per capita and one mill on the
PERSONAL and real estate values in
he county the first year. But
What is the tax the third year?
Three times us much on personal
nd real estate values. The three
ears have cost the taxpayers of
he county $4,000. Taxpayers
t the county, hook at your tax
ecelpt and you will see Ubat the
bove is correct statement. Wei
ave worked under the present
Dad system three years and the {
axes raised three times as much ,S
8 the first year. When will the 3
axes cease to climbp One mem
or Of the board saiG that he did s
Il. a 4 Il Il.