The Lafayette advertiser. [volume] (Vermilionville [i.e. Lafayette], La.) 1865-19??, 1907-10-08
The Road Tax.

road tax in the Parish of Lafayette
paid and who pays it? DO the rich
landlords and real estate owners pay
this tax, or do the poor reamsterS and
daily laborers who get their living by
the sweat of the brow pa, the tax
At the last GOOD ROAD Convention
held in the Court House here there
were five Police Jurors present includ-
ing the President. Mr.. VI. Billeaud.
| being present asked if there was n
other Road Tax collected in the par
ish and paid into the regular road
fund, except the per capita tax. Mr..
Billeaud said distinctly hat there
was none.
then asked why tine Police Jury
did not levy a road tax on the land
and real estate property as we'll as on
the vehicles. A police juror arose
and said we have no authority to levy
any road ia on real estate. | asked
him if he did not think that the real
estate owner ought to help build the
roads and keep them in repair. He
shrugged his shoulders and sat down.
HE was a rich land owner.) | then put
another questiOn-Does a majority of
this convention think it right and Just
that it a man owns twenty-five to fifty
thousand dollars worth of real estate
in this parish, and is an absentee. or is
over sixty years of age that he should
be exempt from paying any poll tax,
per capita or vehicle tax? No an
swer-There are thousand and thous-
ands of acres of farm land in this
parish owned BY absences. There
are thousands and thousands Of acres
of timber lands in this parish owned
by spectators who sell the timber to
jObbers that yea and tear the roads up
more than any other class of people,
they pay no per capita tax, or vehicle
tax. claim in Justice to the people,
and the parish that they should be
compelled to pay their just share of
the road tax. If our parish expects
to prosper and keep pace with the times
(which is rushing ahead in railroad
speedy, we must adopt a more just and
up-tO-date system Of taxation for
building and working our public
roads.
The time has conn when the Parish
of Lafayette must step up and out Of
the old ruts through which it has been
dragging for, the last half century,
and take its stand among the most
progressive parishes of the State.
Education and good roads are the
two principal pillars upon which the
foundation of prosperity, wealth
and aggrandixement must stand. led
ucation cannot prosper throughout the
parish Without good roads,. Our sys-
tenn of education is forging ahead and
making extraordinary progress in
founding facilities for educating the
youth OF the country. In the last few
years 1t has rushed ahead of all its
best friends expectation.
Taking into consideration the popu
Iatioa of Lafayette and its moderate
wealth l do mo- think that there is a
parish in the State that can compare
with it in its educational system,
How is the good road system pro-
crossing? Is it keeping pace with the
public school system? or is it drag
giog along through the old ruts. where
it was many years ago? 1t has moth
ing but the vehicle and the per capita
tax to support it. 1t is we'll known
that the regular n mill parish tax
set aside for roads and bridges is fully
consumed in building ~culverts, bridges
and in care-takers' saleries. There is
nothing left for working the public
roads except the vehicle and per cap
tia tax. The per capita tax is only
paid by about twenty per cent OF the
adult male population of the parish,
and the vehicle tax is not paid on more
than twenty-five per cent of the vehicles
owned in the parish. The majority
OF tne vehicles are owned or kept in
the city where there is no vehicle tax
COLLECTED. Some of our wealthy real
estate owners say that We collect plen-
ty 'of road funds every year, and more
than we actually require for the work.
ing OF the roads, we'll, probably we do
if it is only intended to patch up the
roads here and there, after a long and
heavy rain and the roads get so bad
that you can't pass through them with
any kind of a loaded team without
danger of miring down.
But II we expect to keep in line
with the times and put the roads
throughout the parish in a respectable
and prosperous shape, we do not COL
lect half the funds yearly required TO