The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-08-26
definite road building policy for a
large area of country

large area OF country.
THE Indiana system of road reve-
nues Is antique. The policy Of having
road taxes upaid in labor has been
found to- be one of the greatest detri-
ments to road building wherever tried.
and it is now rapidly being abolished
in all sections of the country. Statute
labor affords an unskilled, undisci-
plined body of workers who have no
terest, whatever in their work, which
Is merely an incident and not regu-
lar occupation, and who feel that they
are being imposed upon by being re-
Quired to pay this tax. They never
acquire proficiency in the art of road
building. and their efforts frequently
leave the road worse than before. No
private firm or corporation would coun-
tenance for an instant such a prac-
tice. nor would they allow debts due
them to be paid in such coin.
Wants Dollar for Dollar.
Il am informed that the practice of
using statute labor in Indiana has
been carried to such a degree that ev-
en- the railroads, pay their annual road
taxes in labor. which they are able to
employ at a considerable discount
from the face value of the tax.
Revise your law so that for every
dollar of tax the railroad owes it will
pay 100 cents on the dollar, and for
every dollar the individual owes he will
pay 100 cents of the dollar and you
will get at least Is or 80 per cent in
crease on your road work without the
increase of dollar in taxation.
Another feature of this extreme To-
calization, which is inseperabIe from
1t, Ia the lack of skilled supervision.
do not doubt for an instant that there
are many skilled road builders in In
diana, and offer no criticism of the
great body of men who have charge
of the road work in that state, but 1t
follows as q matter of course that, with
such vast multitude Of officials. each
employed for SO small a portion of the
time and paid SO small compensa-
ton, skilled constant supervision is ut
|terly impossible.
IF you substitute for fifteen or
twenty men who are devoting small
portion of their time and are receiv-
ing small compensation, one man who
devotes his entire time and is paid
CORRESPONDENCE, you will secure re-
suits commensurate with your outlay"
Summarizes Evils.
Judged by the experience OF other
governments and other states. should
summarize the features of the Indiana
road laws that appear to me to be fun
|damentally weak, as
Il. Extreme localization. involving
the employment of multitude of road
officials and a consequent distribu-
ton of road authority, at once minute
and confusing.
SO. The omission of any require
or provision to insure skilled super
vision.
IS. The payment of road taxes in
labor.
GUS inspection and maintenance of all
the roads.
Mature has favored Indiana to an
exceptional degree in providing road
materials" said Director Page. .The
northern two-thirds of the state is
plentifully supplied with gravel of ex-
cellent quality. Along the Wabash
River and larger streams in this Sec
ton there are many exposures of lime
stone. only three counties being en-
tkely devoid of both gravel and stone
When you compare conditions in Illi-
nois, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas and other
Western states with the conditions In
Indiana, IndianiaAs have every reason