Jefferson jimplecute. (Jefferson, Tex.) 1907-1926, 1913-08-14

of cost for his services except a
conveyance to carry him to and
from the road work and super
intend the construction Of half
a mile of model road.
S e Eberstadt,
Sec. jefferson Progressive Club.
Following was read by Prof.
r J Potts, and said to be the
best paper ever prepared on
Good Roads," and it was lis
tened to with marked attention
From the title of this paper
it might be inferred that we
consider proper legislation a So
luton for all difficultien. This
is by no means true. The writer
is firm believer in the princi-
pie of fewer and better laws.
There is perhaps no line of pub
lie activity in which proper laws
are any more necessary than in
the building of roads, but it is
equally true that there is no
type of public work where the
law will be so complete a dead
letter on the statute books, if
not backed up by proper enforce
ment and strengthened by strong
public opinion. We could have
fewer laws" on the road ques
ton if we really had better
laws" 1t is the intention of the
writer in preparing this paper to
give rather a synopsis, even
though it may appear to be
disconnected and develop each
point more at length in open
discussion.
Collectively the people of Tex
as pay a large amount in taxes
for support of our state, county
and municipal governments.
This tax money, we say, is used
in runnidg the government, but
let US look behind this stock
phrase and see what the actual
results are.
What does the government ac-
tualiy do for the people, and for
the substantial, material improv
ment of the country in which
the people live? Our tax money
buys US protection of life, liber-
ty, property and the pursuit of
happiness. Since we are no Ion
ger in state of savagery, these
things, priceless as they are,
ought not to come so high. The
government should be of some
direct benefit to the people over
and shove this. Are! we simply
running the machine to see it
run, and limiting the amount of
taxes that we put into it so that
it just has power enough to run
itself? Again, are we directing
its efforts toward constructing
lines as much as the present
support really enables us to do?
| submit that SO far as our state
and county governments are
concerned, the people in the past
have secured no direct, immedi.
ate material returns from thetax
money invested, except on our
schools and our roads. These
two benefits constitute our actu-
al income, our dividends, if you
please, from our investment in
government |, therefore con
tend that we should do every
thing possible 10 enlarge on
these particular fields, and when
necessary invest in taxes the ad-
ditional amount which viii ena-
BILE the government to run at a
profit on these lines, rather than
simply running ike empty ma
chine.
The bonding laws:
| sometimes meet a road en-
thuSiast who wishes 10 encrease
the limit of the amount of bonds
that may be issued. The law
now allows county or a district
TO issue bonds 10 the amount Of
one fourth the assessed real g.
tate value. In the writer's opin
ion, this j. a very liberal limit,
and should not BE- raised.
Again, the question of munic.-
pal interpretations which lie
within a road district has proven
a yexiug problem for the lawyer.
Every municipality has some
bonded Indebtedness Of H. own.
II j. by no means clear how
much bonds may be allowed for
these cities and their road dis
tricts. and the matter may nev