The French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1896-1912, 1910-12-29

keep UP the roads of Henderson
count Do we expect our ad.
! joining counties to come over and
build our roads for usY Or is our
Guardian Angel to come and build
us roads of gold9
First, let us take up the subject
of the young men between the
age of 18 and q. It is true,
think, that it is hardship for a
young man to be compelled to
serve the public before he is given
a right to vote, but what duty was
ever performed and what good
was ever done that some one did
not have to suffer. / would hate
to think that there was young
man In Henderson county between
the age of 18 and q who would
not be willing to lend his muscle
to the county for 6 days in every
year for the benefit which he de-
rives personally from good roads,
and I do not believe they are here.
have never heard any kick since
I have had charge of the roads,
from any young man! It has al
ways been from some one trying
to make a new law, or change p1es-
ent conditions.
Now. in reference to reducing
the number of days from 6 to 8.
I believe every one will agree with
me that we need better roads not
worst ones. How can we expect to
accomplish this if we are going to
reduce the work that we are now
performing. / am by the old men
as the young ones-I would GER
tainly hate to think that there was
any man In the county who was
not willing to perform six days
work, il it is necessary in order to
have good roads, and I believe a
large majority Of the people would
much prefer to perform labor on
the roads tina nto pay taxes, and
it is an inevitable fact that we
must either furnish money or mus
Gle.
Third, we come to, the chain
gang. I would be glad if every.
citizen in Henderson county would
read carefully and study the fol-
lowing figures and compare them
with my estimate of what the cost
of free labor would have been to
perform the work done by the
chain gang for the last IL months.
First, let me say that in 1908
there was levied a tax Of $4237 .55
for road purposes. After deduct
ing the commission of the tax col
lector and taking off the insol-
vents, there was left $1,000 net to
be expended on roads. Out Of
this $1,000, the road overseer of
the county received $500, which
\
left net to be expended by the
chain gang $4,000 for the year. At
this. time; after studying the mat
ter carefully, I decided that our
convict labor was so much cheap
er in dollars and cents, and could
be worked so much more satisfac-
torily than free labor that I asked
the county commissioners to in
crease the tax for the year 1909 to
20 mills or Zoe on the 800, which
produced the gross amount for
this year of $7682.34. The tax
collectors's commission for col
lecting the tax amounted to
$347.24, and the insolvents, $247. .95
making a total of $595.19, and
leaving net to be expended for
road purposes $70s7.25. From this
amount must be taken $500 to
pay the road overseers, and out of
this must also be taken the money
to bu ytools that are used by the
free labor Of the entire county
and I will say in passing that most
of the townships have been furn-
ished with road machine, which
is a great labor-sayer. For this
We will set aside $587.25, which