Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1912-10-04
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE
< X X x * X * X x x X * * X y
As to the Road Bond Election.

EulJOI IlcIdlQ.
You are right in your position ia
ken, that Cameron County should
have good roads and that at some flu
ture time a Good Roads Bond issue
will carry.
That it has been defeated at this
time, only indicates that the move
ment was premature in many ways.
That the right plans had not been
formed for the carrying out of this
great work and that the people had
not been educated TO believe that real
results Of lasting benefit would be
obtained from the bond issue pro-
posed. :
1t seemed that no one knew, or
would say, what was wanted, except,
that if a large amount of money was
raised by the proposed bond issue,
that l. was supposed that good roads
reaching every part of Cameron
County would result.
For Cameron County to carry out a
good roads movement; to get the
money necessary for their building
and then get results, in the form OF
we'll planned and well built roads, We
must have:-
A. County Engineer that is a road
engineer. He must receive a salary
sufficient to obtain the best avail
able man. He must give all his time
to the work. He must be given full
control of all County road work. All
road work should be done under con-
tract let by the engineer and the
engineer alone made responsible for
the proper results to be obtained. He
should give an ample bond such as
will assure the faithful performance
of these dutied and full value for
the money expended. No one except
an expert in this particular line,
knows what is wanted or when the
right results are obtained from the
work under contract. While the en-
gineer should in a legal way,
be under the control of the Com
missioners Court, this control should
be more of the nature of %consulta-
ton or advice and reserve its powers
more as a Court of Appeal.
For the division of the cost OF
road construction and maintenance
and to a certain limited extent, for
purposes of administration, the Coun-
ty should be divided into several
districts. All work of every nature
in these road districts to be direc.-
ly under the supervision and manage
ment of the County Engineer.
! A large part of the money neces-
sary for the building of roads is al
ways raised by direct road tax each
year. Bond issues should only sup
plement this fund. These bond issues
should be of two classes.
First-The local district bond to
raise money necessary for purely To-
cal roads,-farm roads. Each local
iity. owing to, its natural conditions,
or the desire of its owners, may raise
any amount nece sary for its needs.
Second-The County bond to raise
money for the building of trunk line
roads, roads purely of a general ma
ture. These trunk roads connecting
with other trunk line roads of ad-
joining Counties. These bonds would
cover all property in the County.
The expenditure of the money rails
ed for these different funds and for
these different purposes, by one nan
agement and with one man respon-
sible, would assure results, such as
are always expected by a private cor
poration. This is the method adopted
by any successful corporation in car
Trying on its work. Funds are appro-
priated for a certain purpose and il is
put Up to one man to get the expected
results.
In planning such a County wide
road system, complete investigation
should be made. Preliminary surveys
and maps should be made such as are
made by our irrigation companies be-
fore they undertake n important
work. The County Engineer should
be afforded the best expert advice
that is o~btainable. Suggestions, plans
and advice should be offered the En-
gineer by the people of each district
and the County. The engineers Of adj
joining counties should meet and
complete arrangements by which
their work could be harmonized and
their forces could work together in
full accord. All the results of this
work should be prepared in proper