Oxford eagle., 1912-03-28
OXFORD, MISS.
March %, 1912.

county Press an article appeared
under the title, Good Roads"
over the signature Of J. c. To
read this article, one must be i'm
pressed that the author had seve-
raj grievances which he wished
to air before the public. After
belaboring the Split Log Drag as
u road builder, ne then takes a
slap at municipal politics, and
plainly intirnates, all who differ
with him are actuated by selfish
and unpstriotic motives, and then
proceeds, himself, to indulge in a
little cheap demagogury, in as
serting that those who did not
favor the proposed bond issue
and who fay ored the trial of the
Split Log Drag mean to place the
burden of road building on what
he has termed THE LITTLE FIVE
DOLLAR FELLOW"
10 not know who J. C.. i, nor
do know what experience he
may have had 10 road buILIlng,
but there i one thing whIcn must
be obvious TO all, and that IL,
such discussion as.he resorts to,
- not calculated ID solve auy
business proposition. | take it
that practically everybody in the
beat and throughout the entire
county are heartily in favor Of
good roads, and also favor con
sIructing them at the lea-t pos
sibIe cost; and above all else ia
vor some plan, by which the pub
lie viii secure dollars worth for
every dollar invested. Ii this is
true, there il out one question
open for discussion in connection
with good road BUILDING, and that
IS, what Is the best and cheapest
plan 20 secure the end which all
desire.
/ | confess am not an expert
road builder, and lay claim to no
superior wisdom or Judgment IN
solving any business proposition,
but there are sOIIe things. which
have been suggested in regarI TO
the two plans, which / deem wor-
thy OF sober consideration by
everyone.
FIRST, in the majority OF cases
where public work is undertaken
on large scale by appropriation
of public money, the benefits de-
rived are rarely commensurate
with the cost, and especially is
this true OF municipal and county
improvement. There are many
reasons for this which must be
obvious. and Judging by the past,
We cannot expect to prove an ex-
ception to the rule, in spending
the proposed bond money.
Second, who of Us is prepared
to say, that in a broken country
like ours, with alternating clay
soil. 1t Is wise to 90 to grea. ex-
penses in grading down hills and
building leyees, etc., by use of
costly road machinery, or that
good roads suitable for all our
uses can not be procured in a
cheaper manner. It has been
said that other counties in Miss
/ issippi have issued bonds, and
Others are preparing to issue
them. This argument settles
nothing. Other counties may
have thrown money away, and
others may be preparing to do so.
Other counties may have fewer
natural obstacles and soils better
adapted 10 turnpike roads. Other
counties may be better able to
experiment with matters of this
sort. The advocates of the bond
issue say We will have all these
problems solved for US. Why not
have them solved before issuing
bonds? Would it not be more
busIness-ike 10 do so? lt has
oeen argued also. that it is cheap
er to build roads by issuing bonds
than by the present system. L.,
may De cheaper To the man who
pays no tax. or very Little tar,
/ but 1t occurs 70 me that \ dollar
when spent judiciously, will pro-
cure just as much and no more,
whether collected per capita or
ad valorem tax. Has it occurred
70 those advancing this argumentl
that the public roads are for the
direct benefit Of all classes of our
people and that the use made of
them Is practically equal with all
classes, whether rich or poor,
white or black? Then why shouIdt
not all, at least in some substan-
ti2l measure contribute To their
building and maintainance. Ten
days work or $500 Communication
tax is not an unreasonable bur-
den. The people have never com
planned of it. They only COM
plain of the manner in which it
has been spent and this they are
entirely justidable in doing. ItI
will occur to most any business
man that it would be better, firstI
TO demonstrate our capacity toll
spend judiciousiy what We are
now collecting before undertake
ing TO do business on a IarcerI
scale. 1
1t has also been said We can y
loat bonds at per cent. This !
Is manifestly absurd. Our peo-
pie need not expect to sell Beat l
Bonds at par, which bear a lower
rate OF interes. than 6 per cent i