Bryan daily eagle and pilot. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1909-1918, 1912-01-19
5000 ROADS
| S-4s MASS MEETING
Question Of Bond Issue and Road I'm
provement Thoroughly Discussed.
~ Committees Appointed.

bonds for road building in Brazos
county, to be voted on at a referendum
on February s, about fifty of the bust.
ness men assembled in Carnegie Hall
yesterday afternoon. At 2:15 the
house was called to order and the OBJ
ject of the meeting explained by Maj.
IL. L. McInnis, chairman of the Com
|lmercial Club.
A. w. Buchanan moved that Major
McInnis act as chairman, which mo-
ton was carried.
Ed Hall, in response to the invita-
ton of the chairman, said the object
was not to talk but to do something.
Texas is on forward movement and
lit is the opportune time for Bryan and
Brazos county to get busy. Our county
Judge is, in sense, the president of
the county and the commissioners are
the directors. The proposition should
be presented to the people in bust.
nes.like form. They have right to
know how the money is to be spent
Good bridges and good, well-drained
sand-clay roads are practicable.
Bryan is behind in sidewalks and
streets, and Brazos county in roads.
AS to saddling debt on posterity,
Mr. Hall said, our children will rise
I'D and bless us If we bequeath to
them system of good roads. Bryan
pays 70 per cent of the taxes. 1t will
benefit Bryan to spend this money so
as to get trade from distance. Mr.,
Hall did not favor spending all the
money on the roads in the vicinity of
Bryan.
Meetings should be called at five or
six central points in the county and
competent men should be sent to ex-
plain the proposition to the people.
Chairman McInnis said that nobody
opposes good roads-the argument IL
all on one side.
A. NJ. Waldrop favored a campaign
of education. A campaign committee
should be appointed.
w. E. Saunders favored making good
roads as far as the money will go
sure enough good roads-but thought
| it a mistake to scatter the money all
over the county.
w. R. Sanders concurred in this
view
Judge Board regretted that his phys
| ical condition did not permit him to
say much. He gave sketch OF his
administration road policy and the re-
suits that have been accomplished. All
admit that the roads have been i'm
proved. Two years ago, he said, he
would have opposed bond issue, but
he has changed his opinion. Good
roads nine months in the year is not
enough. 1t would be difficult to esti-
mate the loss of business to Bryan
during December. A bond issue Is a
business proposition. From a business
standpoint how can we best expend
$500, 900? Bryan will be benefited more
by improving roads in the distant
parts of the county than in the yicin-
ity of Bryan. There are only five or
six important roads, connected by lat
erals. Some think the whole 100000
is to be spent in building the path
, finders" road. 1t would be the height
of folly to spend all the money for the
benefit of automobile JOY riders. Spend
1t to benefit the whole people.
Judge Board concluded with a state
ment of figures proving that the bond
issue would actually save money, since
it would relieve the county of most OF
the expense for maintaining the roads
and building bridges and culverts of
makeshift kind. The tax rate under
existing conditions can never be lower
than 80 cents on the 500, but with
permanent good roads, bridges and cul-
verts the rate could be reduced to 80
cents. Adding to this the proposed tax
of 90 cents would make the entire
rate 90 cents, only cents more than
it is now.
Judge Boards clear-cut statement OF
facts ana figures was thoroughly con
yincing and was received with hearty
applause
]. e. Butler asked whether any OF
the money could be spent on the
streets of Bryan. Judge Board said
that it could not be used inside OF the
corporation line of the city.
Judge Butler being called for SAID
that it was a mistake to suppose that
the issue was so vital to Bryan as 1t
is to the country people. The town
people can get along better without
the roads than the country people can.
If the people of the town are willing
to nav two-thirds of the cost, surely
the country people will be willing TO
nav one-third. Judge Butler related an
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