The Hattiesburg news., 1912-08-27
(From Meridian Starr

p. Moore, drove out on the Poplar
Springs road few days ago for the
purpose Of interviewing the property
owners and residents living along this
road as to their opinion of road i'm
provement after having spent one
winter on an improved road. and the
following questions were asked him:
"As property owner, a resident
and taxpayer on the Poplar Springs
road. What is your opinion of road
improvement such as you have as an
investment to the taxpayers of the
country?'
The replies made were as follows:
Mr.. ]. B. Sharp-It is impossible
to enumerate the advantages of such
road as this; 1t is the only time IN
my life that I have ever realized any
direct benefit from taxation, but pay
ing taxes for road improvement with
me after seeing and realizing what
it means to the whole country is a
pleasure: and don't think you can
burden a man with taxation when he
gets results like this from It,"
Mr.. T. g. Rainer, an ex-treasurer OF
this county-T have heard compul-
sory education agitated, but If were
a member of the Legislature l would
offer q resolution advocating compul-
sorry road construction, for a man
that is opposed to 1t is either ignorant
of what It means to him or is a fool,
and think the state ought to look
after such people; l get pay over and
over every week of my life for what
1t costs me by watching the school
children pass my house to and from
school, perfectly comfortable regard
less of weather conditions; l am one
of the trustees of our school and just
day or two ago I signed the school
report, showing a total enrolment of
1870 and an average attendance during
the month of December of 109. AS you
know, December was one of the worst
months we have ever experienced in
this country. Now if there is any
thing else that I can say to more
fully express my appreciation of it
would be glad to say it."
Mr.. ]. J. Hudson-'T have never
made an investment for which | have
gotten as much financial returns and
satisfaction as | have out of this
road; the advancement in property
alone has been sufficient to four or
five times pay the whole cost of con-
struction, and don't think the coun-
try could make any investment that
would bring in as much returns as to
build a network of them all over it;
1t is such a good thing that l want
every man in the county to have one
Just like it, and I am willing to pay
my part of the taxes to help him get
it."
from the city and two miles from the
school; this has been the worst win
ter that l have ever seen, but there
hasn't been a single day that my
children haven't walked to school and
not single day have they come home
with wet feet; and to think, they
walked down the middle of the road;
not one Of them has been sick with
a.cold even, while heretofore my doc
49, Hs11e
road tax, Talk to me about paying
taxes to build roads. ! am willing tc
pay taxes on mp pack of fox hounds
my bird dogs, my chickens, my
horses and If necessary my wife ant
children if they will use it in extend
ing roads like this all over the coun
try; would rather have my house
and ten acres of land on this road like
Il is now than have my whole farm
on the old road like it was before i'm
provement."
Mr.. G. W. Schamber, of the firm o
Meyer & Schamber, of Meridian, says
'eThe good road has made it possible
for me to live at my country hom'
and still attend to my business al
fairs in Meridian just as easily al
though lived in town. The benefi
that strikes me as being most prac
tical and farreaching is the tremer
dous Increase in real estate vaules 0
country property located on the goo
roads. / have been especially inter
ested in this feature and have fount
that in every instance have inquir
ed into farms located on the goot
road have been enhanced in valu'
from so per cent to 100 per cent as
result of the building Of the goo,
road. am heartily in favor of goo'
roads and firmly believe that every
body would be so II they had th'
opportunity Of using one for shor
timer
I'M contrast to this Mr.. Charlie!
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