The Brinkley argus., 1914-05-08
GOOD ROADS LETTER
A Prominent Cypress Ridge Citizen Expresses His Opinion on Roads,
 Etc
Monroe Ark, May 4, 1914. Editor Argus:

l oOliiS IiiiiS eASoO VAOSS S$ AOSSNA depressing some of my views on the road question, and in that letter I advocated the idea of the county buying traction engine, to pull the graders with. The Monroe county citizen took occasion to criticise the idea as ridiculous and said that a traction engine would be about as much use to the county in the road business as pair of lead shoes in a swiming match, and what the roads needed was men with shovels. blows and slips. Now we actually voted for the Citizen man to represent Monroe county in the State Legislature, | but if he holds to such antiquat.. ed ideas as the man with a shovel to work public roads, it may be that the people made no mistake when they let him stay at home and run the Citizen. | Now anybody knows that grader is one of the best im- plements that was ever used on a road, if used at the right time and in the right way. That being the case, the next question is the power to pull it. l am in- formed that the county has no mules at this time. well it will cost $240O.00 to buy mules enough to pull two graders, be- sides buying the feed and hire ing man to feed them the year round. When the engine don't work it don't eat or require any one to look after it. Besides flesh and blood can not compete with machinery when it comes to test of labor and endurance The engine will not cost any more than the mules, of course there will probably be six months in the year that it cannotbe used, but as said before it will cost nothing when it is standing still. There. was not. a. mile. of road in the county last summer lthat could not have been worked with a tractor and graders, unless it was too stumpy.
 At such times as this is the time road work ought to be done and not when 1t is covered with water and would bog buzzards shadow as the Citizen says. We must hold onto the road tax. until someone evolves better plan and the only better plan, is to double the road tax. The fact that the road fund has been sauandered heretofore is no argument against the road tax law. There is remedy for that.
 When the roads are all cleared of stumps and property drained and graded then we may commense to gravel or surfice with crushed rock. some of the main roads until finally all the roads will be macadamize d. We will never have hard roads | in wet weather until they are surfaced with some hard sub- stances.
 The present law is such an Improvement over the old one that there is no comparison. 1, as well as many others now living in the county. had to put in ten days every year. on the road, sometimes when a fellow Twas sick or for some other reason could not be on hand al road working time. his task was laid off for him by the over. seer, and 10 feet of causewayine or 20 it., of brush and dirt was allowed for a days work and one had to split rails lay them across the road and cover them with dirt.
 ] Remember ] do not charge Editor Williams with ever
 having done any of this kinc
 of work if he had, l do moi think he would be advocating the man and shovel plan today.
 The roads are much better now Ithan they were then, many
 times in the winter months il