The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1911-02-01
TINES BUREAU.
AT STATE CAPITAL.

indianapolis, Ind, Jan. 31.-That cor
porations and contractors who profit by
the system of farming out road taxes
behind the opposition to a change
in the road laws of the state was
charged I. Ert Slack of Franklin, be-
fore joint meeting of the House and
Senate committees roads Mr.. Slack
went so far as to intimate that
many of the farmers who object 50
strenuously to the proposed changes
may be Influenced by the fact that
they are now able to evade their just
share of taxation by working out the
road taxes
There is no question but what the
present method OF working out the
road taxes by railroads and other cor
pprations is a fraud ne told the COM
n.ittee.
Further evidence along the same line
wae submitted by l. y. Hill. who
sent by the Elkhai. pusiAe-s mems
Stub and the Ell<hart county farmers
institute to plead for the passage of the
bills creating a state highway commits
sion and providing for the payment of
road taxes in cash. Mr.. Hall told the
committee had it on no less authority
than the take agent of the Big Four
railroad that the company had never
paid more ran twenty seven cents an
hour for the contractors who work out
its road tax. / although credited with
37is cents an hour under the present
law. II the railroad contractor can
make profit by doing work for u
cents an hour for which the county al
lows 81 4 cents hour he failed to
see why a farmer could not evade a
part of his taxes in the same manner
These were the only charges of uIter4
Tor motive in the assault on the bills
presented by the two Indiana good
roads associations. But two men ap-
reared to argue against the bills in
their entirety and both claimed to be
present in the interest Of the farmers.
One was L. P. Newly OF Knighstown
who, when asked his business by a
member of the committee replied. Il
a farmer. a banker and a lawyer.
and once discredited myself by serving.
n the state senate for eight years"
Not one farmer in thousand wants
change in the road laws" he said.
There is not a potentate in Europe
who would have as much power as this
bill would lodge in the state highway
engineer. He would have the right to
buy all the road machinery used in
svery county and to decide on the plans
and specifications for all bridges. There
are more niggers in the woodpile than
you ever head Of There is no more
reason why one man should be placed
IN charge of all of the highways of the
state than that one man should be made
the boss of all the streets in every city
in the state"
J. l. Barlow of Plainfeld. who said
that while he lived in town he was a
farmer, attacked especially the plan to
abolish the office of road supervisor and
for the payment of road taxes in cash
When you put road matters in the
hands of township trustee, as this bill
seeks to do. you give them over to
political scheming and trickery. The
plan tried in 1881 and proved such
failure in two years that the next
legislature repealed the law. The
farmers want the right to build their
own roads. We know how they ought
TO ge built and kept up and have more
interest in them than anybody else.
don't see any cailouses on the hands
of any Of these men who are here tell
Ing US how we ought to manage our
road business"
c. A. Kenyon of indianapolis. presi
dent of the Indiana good roads associa-
tion presented a detailed explanation
of both bills and an argument for re-
FORMING the road system or the state
He referred to conditions in Europe
where freight can be hauled over the
roads for 4 II to cents per ton pei
mile. while the cost in Indiana is from
20 to 80 cents per ton per mile. Hs
denied that the proposed laws are plan.
ed for the benefit of the automobflist a,
has been charged in certain quarters.
W. F. Elliott, representing the gooe
roads association. also set forth tn.
provisions of the bills. One does ava,
with the working out of road taxes ant
the election of road supervisors
makes the township trustee RESPONSE
BILE for building and keeping up town
ship roads and gives him the right t,
appoint not more than two road super
intendents or supervisors. Each roa,
would be divided into sections and al
road work would be one by contract
each contract being for SO small al
amount of work that the farmers woul,
be done by contract, each contract be