The Mena weekly star., 1908-04-30
POLK COUNTY ROADS
 AND THE SYSTEM
 OF WORKING THEM
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(COntlnued from nrst paBo'l not satisfactory, and the taxpayers, like MT. Yell, do not know whether to lay the blame on the law or over seer or county judge. We collect about 5000 road tax and there are 2OOO men in the county subject to road duty. These men owe the county four days work each. The greater part of the latter IS wasted Many of the road hands only care to put in their time and get the asses sor's receipt, and then complain of the roads all the year until time Tor them to be called on the next year. An Improvement Suggested. An improvement on this system would be, that instead of having each man work four days, collect a poll road tax of $2 each. which would increase our road fund to something like $13,000. Then say there are 500 miles of first class roads, use $10,000 on 1t and you could put $20 per mile on these roads each year. One man can keep 1 in repair from 10 to 15mlles of road: Place man with pickax or shovel on 10 miles of road and you will al- ways have a good road. Have a county road commissioner who will give all his time to looking after these men, and I am sure you will get douhle the value for your money.
 A great many object to this sys- tenn because you cannot get men you can trust to work by themselves. l think there is nothing to this ob- lection. If one man will not do the work, change him. believe if we could adopt this system, we co"ld get men who will take great in- terest in the work and will pride themselves on the condition of the roads, and soon will spring up a rivalry among then, not unlike sec tion bosses on the railroad.
 Why Roads Are Worked at Bad Times. Another objection to our present system is that our people are mostly farmers and it is not right to take them out Cf the fields to work the roads, and usually the overseer is a farmer. The result is that our roads are worked only in the spring before time for planting and we know the result. It is wet and muddy and 1t would be almost as well not to work them. The next time the roads are worked is after the crops are laid by. The result here is that during tha fall the ground is so hard and dry that our benefits are small.
 | Pine and maple poles are a dis grace to Polk county and a serious reflection on an overseer and there is no possible excuse for their use. | We have the same remedy now l that we had before, that is, if ar overseer does not do his duty, in dict him.
 One Man System Practical. | I have tried the lone man system" above referred to, on sev eral roads coming into Mena. and il has proven to my mind the mos practical method of working tn, roads.
 have had one man on the Dalla and Potter roads and part of thi! mans time las been spent on ths Cherry Hill road. He has don, splendid work and the roads have been kept in good shape, but the last month even these well kept roads have been almost impossible but this has been on account of ths heavy and continuous rains.
 In conclusion l will say to Mir Yell that am interested in roads not only as an official but as citi zen, and have done the best l could under the circumstances and tht present system.
 Elect Best 0verseer Possible.
 would suggest that at the com !. ing election you elect the best mar in your district for overseer. Le nothing stand in the way of getting a man who is interested in roads anC will give them his attention.
 l remember at the last election one of the best overseers in the county was defeated because l hac appointed him and it was said hi: election would have been an appro val of my administration, and he was defeated. Wright Prickett,
 County Judge.
 
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