The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1910-03-12

Good Roads Good Business Sense.
The building OF good roads is simp-
ly business proposition for the BEN
eft OF all the people in the coIRmuni-
ties where they are reconstructed The
opponents of good roads are very
prolific in their objections to the
plans lately proposed by Gov. San
ders as Il safe and reliable plan of
procedure to build the roads re-
quired. Their first objection is as to
the cost, which they allege is $4,000
per mile, but rs this contention is
quite effectively met by the showing
that the roads can be built for 500
or $500 per mile, they are looking
| around for other objections with
which to knock" against the propo-
sition.
| One of the contentious is that the
local people will have no control over
the roads. This is not true. LII the
good roads tax is voted, then Il con-
tract will be entered into between the
Board of Controland the police jury,
and in this contract can he definitely
stated and determined all the qups-
tions of road building within the
limits of the parish. Ii we vote the
tax, neither the Board of Control,
the State Board of Engineers, nor
the government experts, can come
into Grant parish without first hav-
ing entered into n contract with our
police jury. OF course, if We vote the
road tax, we want our money spent
to the very best advantage, and the
State Board of Engineers and the
Government experts can certainly
spend the money to better advant-
age than the police jury, who have
neither technical training nor aknowl-
edge of correct road building.
The main question is to vote the
tax. All other questions are simply
matters of detail. If Grant parish
votes this tax, it will not only secure
the benefit of cheap convict labor to
do the work, but will be the first
parish to get the benefit of legislation
that il expected to be, passed at the
next session of the Legislature.
All talk about neglecting the other,
roads Of the parish for the sake OF
one or two "model highways" is
foolish twuddle. We takei it that the
police jury who have the letting OF
the roads know what the people want,
and they can be depended on to do
what is right in the matter. The
proposition is to have good roadr
system" and the usual plan in
other States is to have one, two, or
more. model highways. in each coun-
ty with a system of neighborhood
roads leading Into them. It IS ex-
ceedingly desirable that some such
plan be followed in Grant parish.
The people OF Louisiana are great
~ interested in this movement, and
will watch its progress in Grant par
ish with keen interest. The follow
ing letter, from the President Of the
State Farmers Union, shows that
the farmers of thecoun.ry are especi-
ally interested in the matter, viz:
Hon. j. W. Duncan, Pres. Police Jury
Grant Parish, Colfax, La.
Dear Sir:-Relative to a series OF
meetings, you mightarrange to have
me speak on the good roads question
to the people OF your parish. AS
President Of the State Farmers
Union | will be only too glad If l
can be of any service to your people
in getting good roads. My time is
all taken up until April 10th or there
about.
Advise me as early as you can.
L am, Yours truly,
T. HApprpr