The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-07-20
SPLENDID EXAMPLE, SET BIZ
GUILEORD COUNTY - GOOD
ROADS AND INCREASED
VALUE ARE HAND-MAIDS.
BY ANDREW JOINER.

Greensboro, n. c.. July 1.-THE
official listed taxable property valua
ton of over s23.000.0O0 may or may
not have an intimate connection with
the question of good roads. In any
event. his correspondent recalls an
incident in the good roads tax cam
palgn in GuilfOrd six years ago, which
at least emphasizes the significance OF
this splendid showing of the financial
status of Guilford, and shows that the
steady rapid progress in increased
taxa Dies from year to year, despite the
panic, has been eontempOraneous
with the life and work of the High
way Commission which for the past
five years has been administering the
$500, 600 raised by a vote Of The peo-
pie to build macadam roads through
out the county. The incident referred
to, was at a final rally of advocates
of the vote for authorizing the bond
issue, at the Grand Opera house in
Greensboro, the night before the cleo
ton. Among the speakers, was Hon.
JOIN l.. King. we'll known throughout
the county and State for his cOnservat-
ism and fine business Sagacity, h
when the bonds We're voted and the
Highway Commission was esta blished,
was made a membe of the board, was
AtC oo SIC11So ~ Niioi o. uiib
has served faithfully n we'll ever
since. In his short address Mr.. King
discussed strictly the financial side
OF the transaction, showing how by
an increase Of taxable values the in
terest on the bonds could be paid
without knowing it, besides providing
a yearly sinking fund which would
pay off the principle by time the bonds
were due. the county having the roads
and having gotten the benefit of the
100000 cash expended in work and
labor both, without eventually ex-
periencing the least burden. His esti-
mate hen was hat with the amount
asked for ($3O0,O0O at least 100
miles Of road cOuld be graded and
macadamized, leaving at the terminal
ton Of the work a good equipment
of team, machinery, and experience in
road building which the county COM
m~issiOnerS could utilize in continuing
the work out of h regular tax funds
of the county. In the course of his
speech Mr.. King, calling attention to
the fact that the total taxable Nalua-
ton of property in Guilford, was S12,-
900, illustrated his discussion Of the
ease with which the interest on the
bonds could be paid by increased
values, by saying he honestly believed
that by 1910, when the road fund
would be used up and the 100 miles
of good road completed, that the val
udtlOn would De at lodSI $ZU,UUU, UUU.
This prediction made six years ago.,
shows that Mr.. King was talking bus
mess. and while he had faith in the
development of the county, and
thought he was conservative in his
stimat the result has shown that
instead of painting rainboWs to catch
votes, he wasn't putting on enough
coloring for fear Of appearing to eX-
aggerate or mislead. The Highway
goes out of business at
the beginning of 1910, with 100 miles
of Dad completed. as he predicted, but
instead of finding $4,000, 600 worth
of property to draw taxes from out
of which to pay the interest on tho
bonds, and add to the sinking fund.
the amount will be very near, if not
exceeding $25, 900, 900, or over double
the assessed values the year before
the work on good roads was begun.
Tt is a legitimate conclusion that
good roads and the money brought in
from elsewhere to spend in the coun-
ty have played an important part in
this remarkable growth Of values in
GuilfOrd county. In any event the re-
corded facts are indisputable, and the
writer trusts that he has herein furn-
to advocates of good roads efsr-
where a concreate example of the eff
feet of such improvement in ~ coun-
tv. at least, and a text from which
effective preaching may be done by
fla gging or discouraged apostles OF