The Aberdeen weekly., 1909-02-26
Public Roads Viewed by Casual
Observer.


The reports of our Supervisors of
Monroe county on the conditions Of
the various public roads worked
under contract for the past , years,
would indicate that our roads were
in passable condition, owing to the
remarkable mild weather conditions
and the work which had been done
by the respective contractors during
the year
! Your writer agrees with them and
admits that all has been done
/ by the respective contractors and
the Board, so far as their respective
/ duties are concerned. but our tax
PAYERS should take this matter in
hand and demand MORE STABLE i'm
provements in the way of perma-
nent road building.
Many of the present contracts,
viii expire this year. and will be
relet before another year Now is
the time To study the thing to do.
For your consideration | desire to
put few facts and figures touching
upon this Permanent Road question
and ask every tax payer to study
them as he would a business propo-
sition, for the good Of all concern
ed.
Public roads are a public necessi-
ty and should be kept up for the
convenience of all classes. Moth
ing adds more To the value Of prop
erty in the country and town, than
we'll built and kept system of per-
manent roads. The time is ripe
now. for action. Every man, wo-
man and child should feel that they
have a part in this demand
Our present road system is very
expensive one. and must be kept
up annually, to keep the roads in a
passable condition, with favorable
weather conditions, as reported by
our Board, and are now as good as
we may expect them at any time
in the future; Because they are
worked up to the plans and specifi-
cations under our present system,
which Is much better than the old
ten days system formerly used.
We are paying annually some
thing over $4,000 for this contract
work. In addition to this sum, six
ty- pea. Gent. Of our common county
levy Of 6 - mills on the dollar is
paid out on your public roads for
supplies, to-wit: Bridges, lum ber,
causewaying, nails and building
bridges, etc, and when you think Of
the kind Of work received and paid
for, being only temporary and
nothing permanent it is alarming.
We have already paid out from
this source. money enough TO have
had every public road in the county
made of rock or gravel, had our
people known and adopted different
methods.
We pay out annually from our
common county funds as named
above something like $50, 90. Now
add to this the $50, 900 commuta-
ton tax, and you have the nice
little sum of S5O,OOO expended an
nually, and now run this 20 years
and you Will have expended S10O0,-
900 and no roads better than you
have at present. with favorable
weather conditions.
Fifteen or twenty years ago, we
had our bridges all built out of the
very best heart lumber, that was to
be had. at a cost of one-half what
the inferior soft lumber used in
them now. The life of bridge
then was II or - years. Now they
last TO 5 years at best at almost
double the cost.
We need a change along this line,
and all that is needed is for the tax
payers to take this matter up. and
ask our Board to give permanent
improvements instead Of the costly
temporary structures which they
are having built throughout the
county. Respectfully,
W. II. koLB.