El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-07-09
Split Log Drags Are Working
Marvellous Changes In Texas Roads
Sevenvnine Building Paris
- ' Work. an Roads
By IDA NJ. DARDEN.

building have been resOrted to by the
clubs throughout the state.
The Granger Business Mems league,
those entire membership has worked
11nceasinaIy in securing good roads for
Williamson county, held celebration
on June % and 20 to commemorate the
completion of the Sc miles Of good
roads recently leading into this city
from different sections of the country
business Men Boost Good Roads.
A marty from the Corpus Christi COM
mercial club composed OF the leadlnS
business men Of that city, recently
made an auto trip to San Antonio,
stopping at all intermediate points
along the route for the purpose Of
holding good roads meetings, and dis
tributing literature showing the ad-
vanta ges Of improved PUBIC highways
to a community
One of the most unique methods Of
building roads is reported from Paris,
which is well known as leader IN the
good roads movement The members
of the Paris board of trade, and the
automobile owners Of that city recent
" devoted an entire week TO Work on
the county roads. A novel Slght was
presented when the bankers, merchants
4 and lawyers of the city left their
stores. banks and offices, rolled up
their sleeves. and dragged the roads
of the county along with paid labor
ers.
annual Expenditure on Bond Issues
More than 100000 is spent an
nuallv in Texas upon public highways s.
and this does not include pol TAX, al
valOrem tax, fines, etc
The average annual expenditure on
public highways in the state, other
than bond issues is S23-09 per mile
Funds for improving the public high
wavs of the state are secured from two
/ sources. bond issues and annual road
tax levy. though the bond issues are BY
far the most popular methods Of build
/ ing reads
Cost of Building Roads.
Tests made in building roads in diff
ferent sections of the state show thai
the average cost Of building roads IT
Texas is $4,000 per mile though TINS
I of course varies according to distance
from the material and soil As mucf
I as $4,000 per mile has been spent II
1 improving the roads of some sections
but the results obtained have demon
/ Strated the wisdom OF the expenditure
/ Not only has transportation beer
cheapened in these districts, but Int
! added value to the property has more
| than taken care Of the bond issues
The good road movement is not onl.
/ Of great physical benefit TO the stat
/ but the moral influence OF the move
ment is being reflected in the prison
cells, and the convict camps Of tn
| state. and as a result OF the road build
/ ing activity the iron doors OF prison:
are swinging open in order that IN
| prisoners may ASSIST Al t--O =
/ of building highways, thus aiding th'
/ state as well as himself IN being
| trained in honest work for future use
! fulness-
There is no state law permitting the
| working of state cOnvicts on public
/ roads in Texas, though the commits
/ siOners Of each county may work Iht
/ public roads by means Of convict labor
! Several southern states have passed
| laws permitting cOnvicts to be used II
I this way, and the practice is said 10
4 work satisfactorily