The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1906-05-05

| what they get. and if he is con-
SclenclOuS, energetic and cGmpc-
tent, the work will progress salts
factory. If he fail, in any OF the
above, the selection OF his sue
cessor should be in order.
Since drainage is a requisite
to road building. il Is necessary
to provide for the drainage OF TIN
road before grading it. In SOM.
cases this is easy: the adiactnt
property owners occasionally pro-
vide it them selves In others they
raise no objections to having their
bitches cut into. In still other
cases, where property owners 50
not keep up their own drainage
very WELL it is necessary to deep
en- their bitches in order TO dram
the road. Some OF them take adj
vantage of This, and do not n,-i-
tate to remind you that it i time
for the parish to cut certain bitches
through thel" property. one par
ty hailed the road commissioner.
and complained tina; his garden
was suffering because Il certain
ditch needed to br cut, and h.
urged haste In relieving che stu
alton.
The most difficult conditions,
however, 70 deal with are vu~n
the property owners above the
road ditch their water down 80 it.
and those below the road -ut
levees, and restrict the water - IN
entirely insufficient outlet. Under
the circumstances. the drainpg, of
the road would involve Il heavy ~
pense for draining large areas Gf
private property at the pablic "x-
pense. The amount OF water thar
actually falls on the road IN any
is comparatively small,
and yet the opinion prevail, in
many localities that it is not only
right and proper for the parish To
ditch this watertOgethcr with ali the
water lead to the road. on through
the adjacent properties below tn
road, and empty into the gull or
swamp, but that it is actually in
u pun II ~ ~ -.
To the road ommiS-iuntr { az
pears that the rights and duties ~
the public with regard to the roads /
are identical with those Of the IN /
dividual and amenable to the
same laws. The road commits
sioner would have no more right
to illegally spend the public mon
ay to drain private property than
the trusted manager OF private
estate would have to thus spend |
his employers money in the drain
age of mis- neighbours land.
1t is t" be regretted that this
opinion is not generally concur
ed in.
The road commissioner in di--
,ussing these questions with in
parties, with a view to
arriving at an adjustment fair 10
Ill, is invariably met with the
contention that the parish should
shell out" and do all the work.
There are a few exceptions, but
hey are incunsiderable.
After satisfying himself that all
forts to AMIGA bly, solve thu prob
EN- were futile, the road COM
missioner has carefully presented
III the facts OF the various cases
involved to the Hon. District At
orney, the legal representative" OF
he parish, for his opinion. This
pinion has been received and he
ow proposes to act upon it.
Cancellation has been suggested.
was the first thing tried, and
act with no feeling of recipro-
alton. There is nothing to do
ut stand upon legal rights, Tor ii
eviated from in one instance, a
recedent is established which
pens the door for other trangres-
Ors.
In case a suit or suits become
ecessary, it will be the aim OF the
Dad commissioner to get all Of the
lcts before the court, whether
avorable or adverse to his side OF
lc case, in order that Il perfectly
lir decision may be arrived at,
nd the questions settled once for
Il.
The road commissioner desires
} act squarely with all the parties
including the entire
public whom he repre-
'nts. He expects 20 be knock
|" considerably; that goes with
e job. Before condemning him.
We him d chance. Ask him for
l accounting. and he will try to
nder it.
j. P. kEMPER,
Road Commissioner.