The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1910-08-18

LII my OplHlOH TIC qucStIOn VI Soou
roads which now confronts the people
of Supervisors district No. 2, is the most
important question pre,ented since the
creation of the county. Although there
seems to be no division of sentiment among
benefits of good roads | will undertake
to present some reasons why in my opin-1
ion the movement in favor of good roads
In this Supervisors district should be
pressed with zeal and ardor at this par
ticular time. :.
But in. the outset / want it understood
that my advocacy of good roads is not
due to any claim of superior business
judgment or sagacity on my part, but
to the fact that l have seen and real
lied the vast benefits, conveniences and
advantages of good roads in other states
where l have been.
The people may as we'll realize now
that the boil weevil is with us and with us
to stay for years. While / do not con-
slider that the boil weevil will do any ma
terial damage to cotton in this county this
year, it is we'll known that it is so
thoroughly distributed over the country
that it takes no prophet to see that next
year we will suffer seriously from it.
When the boil weevil has firm hold
on the county the people must turn to
other crops, not by choice but by neces-
sity. In order to market the crops it
will be necessary, to have good roads. A
man who lives ten miles from market on
a good road is more accessible to market
than a man FIVE miles from market on a
bad road. When the roads have once
been put in good condition they can be
kept in good condition with much less
labor than is now put on them. 1t is
like man keeping a fat horse fat with
ess feed than it takes to keep up a poor
horse.
II miles of Brandon can raise a few acres
of wheat to advantage and when that IS
done the Planters Gin Co., with a very lit
tie extra cost can put in a -four mill which
will be mutually advantageous to the mill
and the people. Already the farmers "a
round Trenton, in Smith county, have be-
| gun raising wheat and mill has been
put in at Trenton. Fruits, vegetables, and
other farm products can be marketed
| with advantage when we have good roads,
The taxes required to pay the interest
and sinking fund are SO distributed that
they will not fall heavily upon any one
| The people of Brandon will pay more
than one-6fth of the tax; the A. v.
railroad will pay more than one-hfth and
the non-residents of the state will pay a
considerable sum so mat the resident tax
PAYERS who live in the beat outside of the
town will paw less than one-half of the
| tax. Not one dollar of the tax can be
used on the roads inside of the town of
Brandon. | do not make this statement
with any view of arousing any preJu-
| dice against the railroad or against the
| people who live in Brandon. The railroad
| company wl.., feel sure, be more than
willing to pay the increased tax for the
| $500 -. a.,aoc - xr;ll br;po RI the rail
road, and | feel sure no people will more
| cheerfully pay the increased tax than will
the people of Brandon. have made some
estimate of the number of people in
Brandon who oppose the Good Roads
proposition and feel safe in saying not
more than fifteen voters in Brandon OPP
pose it. Some people have been induced
to oppose the Good Roads movement upon
the idea that the negro and poor white
man will escape road working and road
tax. No man who is at all posted on
the new law will make any such state
ment unless he is wiling to wlltully
deceive ana 1llSlCdQ ia OiACl ~ ~0AAy A,-
point. The fact is. that the law under
which it is proposed to issue the bonds
expressly provides that the money sraised
from the bonds, is to put the roads IN
good condition and not to maintain the
roads. The roads must be kept in fix
by the road hands or by the communication
tax as at present.
I hear that one great inancier in Bran
don is opposed to the good roads because
he is afraid that if bonds are issued will
buy the bonds and make profit out or
the transaction. II occurs to me that It
the bonds are put up 70 the highest bid.
der and shonld pay the best price and
buy the bonds that no one should object
that home man should buy the bonds
when all were offered a fair opportunity
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