The Newark journal., 1909-02-19
Vol. 8. No. 45
A GREAT LOCAL PROBLEM
Road Building a Live Issue And One
 That Deserves Attention

Mr. Editor: I desire to take this method of discussing the road prob lem, the greatest local question before the people of Arkansas today, and which will be great question for many years to come because it ma- terially affects the value of our coun- try in so many was.
 The greatest defect in our present system that we must overcome is the lack of systematic knowledge of road work. In every county in the state there should be road commissioner or engineer who knows something about civil engineering and practical road and bridge building, who shall have power to lay out and direct the construction of permanent roads and bridges. Not many men, as a rule, who are iitly qualified for county and l probate judge, possess the proper qualifications for good road and bridge builder: qualifications for these different lines of work are so different that but few men possess the tact and ability for both Every county should 1 have d road commissioner of ability in this particular line of work. We think that the county judge should have power to appoint the commissions CT and he can then select man of peculiar fitness for the position.
 But there is a greater and more serious defect to overcome, and that is the manner of selecting overseers. The election Of oyerseers is the most serious draw back that we are con- fronted with in this county. In some instances the people succeed in electing man of peculiar fitness and qualif cations for this most important posi- ton, but in many instances the winner is happy go-lucky fellow who has a
 "pull' with the local politicians and who cares more about holding his job than he does about making good roads. He knows that all the free laborers are voters, and he must please them in order to hold his job; also if he is elected by certain portion Of the township he must do the most of his work in that section, or else he will get showed under at the next election if he asks for a second term. What will he do? Will he make good roads or will he cater to the public? IF order to please the boys he will let every man be his own boss and he will work most where the votes are thickest. Did you ever think that a good foreman can not play politics and do good word? Suppose school districts elected teachers by popular vote without any regard to their liter ary qualifications, what kind of schools would we have? Or go little further and suppose that large corporations would permit their worllnen to select their foremen on a popular basis; would the workmen kselect q man that would cause them to do the most work or would they select q foreman that would ''do them right?n Int is, 1 mean, man that would cater to their pleasures and let them have their way?
 We can see marked change in con- ditions in this county since the power of appointing overseers was taken away from the county judge, and the office made elective, and the change is for the worse in most instances. It is position that should be kept out of politics.
 would like to see the people peti- tion cur legislators to make change along this line during the present sit ting of the legislature.
 Let them pass a law permitting the circuit judge and the county judge to select d commission of three good, practical business men, who are. positively not in politics, and who are both capable and willing to select oyerseeers because of their qualifica- tions and peculiar fitness for the posi- tion, giving said commission or the county judge, the power to remove any overseef who is incompetent or not worthy of the position. In this way you will eleminate politics from the office and you will get double the amount of work, as we'll as more com petent men as overseers, which will certainly justify the ends in view. l do not intend to cast any refeo- tions on our present worthy county judge who is ey-OfficiO road cOmmIs-