The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1907-02-07
THE GOOD ROADS ISSUE.

y
will not rule me out of order for asking
the privilege of the right-of-way for q
| few words in the columns of the jour
nal in regard to the plans by which the
construction Of the roads of our county
are to be finished.
We are firm supporters of the good
roads idea. 1t is the spirit of the
hour--one of the angels of progress.
We hope to live to see the rough places
made smooth, the steep places made
level, the muddy places made dry. We
also think that the old mule, as he
draws his burdens from day to day over
our grades. would, deep down in his
heart, be forced to give vent to three
cheers.
There are two ways of doing thing
a right and a wrong, or proper and an
improper.
The two late grand juries have each
recommended plan By which finances
can be raised to construct or complete
the roads of the county.
We think che most plausible one is
that recommended by the last grand
jury, that the communication tax be
raised from $3.50 TO 81 and an advalo-
rem tax of 20 per cent be levied, and
that the changing be put on the public
roads.
Money is cheap, labor is scarce-the
scarcest it has ever been science 1855.
The Communication tax and 20 per cent
Advalorem tax will, under present la
Dor conditions, gather money as fast as
it can be judicially used in road i'm
provement.
Labor, good labor, is almost as
"ss8sae as hea's teeth" This lie most
critical time to undertake as large
task as building 700 or 800 miles of
roads. 1t taiass nnan and wagons and
taRms anh labor to build roads, and
cash of these have never been higher.
Skilled labor cannot be had at reason
able prices. The task will have to be
performed by floating lahar- by SRI
days"-those who wish to work two
days in thas week.
1t is ARGUED by some that omvist la
beR on the public roads is in compsti-
ton 30 free labor. Let that be as it
naHg, we have a cemviet eaamp Ruw in
Cohb eounty, the eonvists gradinn a
Tailraad in competition to free laber,
for yhieh labor the eeanty reserves no
compensation whatever. It can be
demonstrated beyond tie psradven tuFs
at doubt, that convl0ts can be main
taiHea at a cost Of 4Sets. q piece peg
day after thsy have been prOgiaed with
teats, etc. 1t is also kRowM fast in
this day AID tine, that eoavist laber
10 Mnaws F0@mp%-ths eonvist more reg
0hm in his haAits, mere at 10 be Can
6ms If mornings, comes nearer gsttiRs
in six days in the wesl tAaa the frss
lab0Fsr. Ths convict has his "boss" or
guard the free laboesr has his fors-
man. The boss WORKS his eunviet every
day; the foreman works his freq labOTsr
vixen tbs frss man happens to come.
Ths boss and the feEsn1an each resolves
his compensation. The one for labor
performed, the other for duty perform
ed, if tina 0sluar fellow happeus TO esmze.
The ''bond issue" seems to have
fallen on stony ground" The average
man is afraid If debt He kupws pRy-
day will come. A dsbt casts shadow
over the sanniast field nmtgags On
home Is sentinel of gloom. TBsHraat
gnDvs day and night; the more b. eats
the hun6rior itgsts. The man in dsbt exam
h0ar, in visions Of sa0sp, the interest,"
grew. Ths fsEmzsr out Of debt eam hear
his eOttom, his corn sSsw, and it nAahes
music in his Dnl 81 cherry as the veiees
d reAps1s Singing amid the gathered
sheaves. The man, the country, the
nat6on, gets in debt. The debt must In
paid. Every stalk Of corn, every stalk
of cotton, every blade Of grass is a wit.
boss 10 that fast. A panis comes along.
Real estate diminhahas in value, pap@
dues WAKES dull ca the market, live
stumk falls heleg zero, mooney is searee,
and laansg ehaap; but the hnmm with
interest must be pAid, SO mueh every
yeaF for thirty years. Who knows what
thirty years may briRs forth?
A CoHsFANF RRADE
VIKINGS Ga,
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