Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1907-04-05
THE PUBLIC ROADS
IN MISSISSIPPI
SPECIAL REPORT MADE REGARD.
ING THIS SYSTEM.
FRICTION IN THE SERVICE

WHITE MEN REFUSE TO WORK
WITH BLACKS. CARNEGIE EN-
DORSES THE PRESIDENT IS
STAND ON RAILROAD QUESTION.
Director Logan w. Page, of the Office
of Public Roads Department of Agri-
culture is preparing several bulletins 10
show the conditions of public roads in
the various states. He has found the
collection of statistics exceedingly diff
cult, as little reliable information has
been published and what he receives is
from voluntary country correspondents
appointed by the Department.
Mr.. Page is now issuing bulletin Civ
ing statistics as to the mileage of roads
in the State of Mississippi, expenditures
in 1904 and sources of revenue.
In 1904 Mississippi had 38,698 miles
of public roads of which 100 miles were
surfaced with gravel and 40 miles with
shells. Thus only 0.3S of one per cent
of the roads has been improved. A COM
parison of mileage with population shows
forty inhabitants and one mile of i'm
proved road to every 10,411 inhabitants.
All male persons over Is and under
80 years of age, unless by law exempt,
are required to work on the public roads
not to exceed ten days each year, except
in case of emergency, when they may
be required to work longer time. In
lieu of this labor each person may pay
S. to the road overseer before being
warned to work or after being warned
and before default Sc, or he may pay
81 for any days labor, provided the
same is paid before default. In working
out the labor tax one days work with
two-horse plow, and team with driver is
considered equivelant to three days. la
Dor, and one day s work with wagon
and team of four horses and driver is
considered equivelant to ten days labor.
In counties where roads are worked by
contract all persons required to perform
road duty may work under the contrac-
tor, or pay him $5 in lieu of the work
If the labor and commutation money
are found insufficient for working the
roads the Board of Supervisors may
levy tax upon all taxable property in
the county Of not to exceed / mill on
the dollar in any one year. In addition
to other road taxes, the Board of Super
visOrs may also levy a tax for the pur-
pose of constructing or maintaining shell,
gravel or macadamized roads, this tax
tO ho occacca1 acrai,acf
to the roads improved or to be improved,
provided the value of such property is
materially enhanced by such construc-
ton or maintenance. Counties may is
sue 25-year bonds for building roads and
bridges to an amount which, added to
all other bonded Indebtedness, SHAH nol
exceed per cent. of the total assessed
value of property as shown by the as
sessment rolls of the preceding year.
Special taxes may be levied for the pur-
pose of paying the interest and princi
pal on bonds. The counties are author
lied to employ convicts in the improve
ment of public roads, provided their use
in this way does not interfere with the
management of the State farm Hor put
the State to any expense. There are ten
counties in the State which report the
use of convict labor on public roads.
The "a cunt derived from the proper
ty tax and labor paid in money and
expended on roads and bridges in 1904
was $685., 9,069.45. The estimated cash
value of the labor tax was $1,335, ,S16.
The question of advancing negroes TO
important positions in the classified SER
vice, which is worrying the Postofice De
partment, because white men will not
remain in the Postal service and asso-
ciate on terms of equality with the black
men, is causing trouble in the Treasury
Department and may soon be raised III
other branches of the Government. See
retary Cortelyou has been presented with
petition from nearly all the draughts-
men in the office of the Supervising Ar
chitect asking that negro draughts-
man, working alongside of them, be re-
moved or changed to some other Govern
ment position The white draughtsmen
have been discussing the matter for some
time among themselves and strong
feeling has been aroused. One man,
a Virginian, has gone so far as to re-
sign his position.
Inasmuch as Congress last year au-
thorized great many new public build
ings the Office of the Supervising Ar
chitect is crowded with work, and every
effort has been made to get competent
draughtsmen. This failed, and Mr. Tay-
lor, the Supervising Architect, turned to
the Civil Service Commission, which cer-
titled a list from which selections were
made. The colored man was in the num-
Der and he was appointed.
Secretary Cortelyou may or may not
present the matter to the President, but
it is kno 10 That he has no idea of MAX
ing any strong recommendation. The
probability is that the petition from Tie
white architects will be forgotten by the
diplomatic Secretary, which means that
the negro will remain where he is un-
less personal or other reasons result iii
his retirement.