Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1907-02-27
ROAD TAXES IN CASH.

1Hc lSSISldtuIS mas DSIurt II a bftA
providing for the payment of all road
taxes in cash and for the repeal OF
that economic folly, the old road law
that has existed since time i'm
memorial and which permits the tax
payer to work out his road tax almost
at his own convenience and in anyway
and at any place he chose. The utter
foolishness of the old law is apparent
to everyone who is familiar with its
operation. but at the same time the
.selfshness of humanity and the lack
.of healthy public spirit have become
so ingrained. especially in the coun-
try districts, that nothing short of a
positive requirement of law will ever
compel the rural taxpayer to acknowi-
edge the merit of a rational system OF
bodybuilding and taxpaying
For years the law has provided
that the taxpayers of any town may
vote to pay the taxes levied for road
purposes in casl, the same as other
taxes are paid In a large majority
of the towns in the state the question
has been submitted to the voters and
in all but few cases a negative vote
has prevailed and almost all the towns
still are paying the highway taxes In
labor-working them out" They
never want to work when the overseer
wants them to and that dignitary,
having no authority whatever. hangs
up his fiddle and waits for a more
convenient season. Or perhaps wheR
he has called upon a dozen of the
far lers to come out there may be
three or four responses. and these
being political friends, he does not
care to offend them by requiring toe
strenuous labor. Thus a contest IL
at once inaugurated to see who can
do the least work. The writer has
seen seven men and ~~two two-horse
teams equipped with pillow, three
spades four axes and a logchain, spend
three hours grubbing out a black oak
tree not more than three inches in
diameter. Computation would dis
close that the cost of that single oper-
a;icn was s405. This, of course, ID
IN extreme instance but it shows the
possibilities of the system, and is in
fact not SO far from the real truta
in q large majority Of cases. Road
working time is too often regarded az
a picnic season and bodybuilding Is
made secondary 70 pleasant associa-
tion with neighbors The hours re
qHied fer a days work are ten in ac-
ccrd2nce with the state law and The
.overseer even were he so disposed
which is not frequently the case. can
not require a longer Nservice, and the
truth of the matter is that eight
hours more frequently constitutes the
days work, and sometimes only six
Then too, under the existing sys-
tenn road districts are small. covering
In many instances not more than a
nile OF road, and the overseer, having
a desire to keep a standin, sees to it
that things run smoothly for the tax
payers. He wants the job another
year. for there IS some $50 of profit in
it for him and It is money easily on
tanned!
To construct a country road in a
proper manner involves questions OF
engineering that not every farmer is
competent to solve, and yet it IS a
truth that this class of work in nine
cases out of ten is put into the hands
Of the least competent man in the
district-the man forsooth who needs
the job because he has failed in al
most every other undertaking.
AS was said at the beginning, the
legislature has before it bill which
provides for the payment Of road
taxes in money There is not a man
farmer artisan or shop-keeper, who
does not know that the bill ought TO
pass. The merit of the case is so
self-eyident that a discussion of it
ought not to be necessary. 1t makes
possible the securing of labor just
when it is needed without regard to
whether any particular farmer is
dOiG 10 pHeE MS resources Ut uoJs II
gives the Overseer complete authority
over his men, as he can discharge
them if they 40 not render satisfac
tory service It improves the char
ahter Of his services, for the simple
reason that the lnen know they can be
discharged The length of the day
can be made ten hours the same as for
any other class of farm labor.
But in connection with this move
meut to require the payment ofroad
taxes in money there should be Joined
a provision for a better system Of
road superintendent This matter is
OF equal Importance with the other
let the law provide for an intelligent
method &c read supervision as wei as
for a rational method OF taxpaying and
the people Of Wisconsin may hope for
better roads. Until then the nearly
$50, 100000 paid annually as road taxes
viii be dissipated in the evil old
fashioned way Madison Democrat