St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1914-01-31
To the Taxpayers of the I'd Road
District of the 9th Police
Jury Ward.
GILBERT L. DUPRE.

Jury Ward.
The 9th police jury ward has been sub
divided into two road districts. All of that
portion west of the Mallet woods constitutes
the LIST road district and all Of that portion
east of said woods constitutes the I'd road
district.
There are in road district number one
thirty-odd miles of public roads and in dis
trict number two ninety-odd miles Of roads.
The present vehicle and per capita tax and
internal improvement fund gives the I'd
district about $4,000. 90 with which to work
its ninety-odd miles of roads and maintain
the bridges on same. At a very conserva-
tive estimate it will take $4,000 to main
tain the bridges Of my district. This will
leave $1500.00 to grade and maintain say
ninety miles of roads for one year-or $16.6 6
per mile Now, fellow parishioners, T
profess to have some small degree of bust
ness acumen; but this problem is too tough
for me. It is a physical impossibiIity.
Hence, as your representative, I decided to
select the main t~horoughfares and put them
in good order and simply patch the other
roads occasionally, as far as the money
would go. But every man contends that
his road is one of the main thoroughfares
and hence must be worked. Now the prop
%osition is simply this-We must be satisfied
with less roads worked or we must put up
more money. In order to give the tax-pay-
ers an opportunity to decide this question
for themselves I have had ordered a special
election within the bounds of the I'd district
of the sixth ward to take place on Saturday,
the 21st of February, at which time you
will be called upon to say whether or not
you are willing to pay a small tax of three
mills on the dollar for five years to supple
ment the present vehicle and per capita tax
for road work or whether you are going to
force your police juror to work the roads
with the small amount now at his disposal.
II the three mill tax is voted down I shall
take that to mean that you do rot wish all
the roads worked and hence I will use my
judgment in selecting which roads shall be
worked, am going to vote for the tax and
if you will help me carry it, I will promise
you some roads.
If this proposition is voted down it will
simply be done to save the small amount of
money which the tax would cost the voter.
What is money but a medium of exchange
with which to get what you need? And
pray what do we need in this fair country of
ours worse than good roads and drainage?I
With these two things supplied all other
things necessary would follow as a natural
consequence. But without these two things
this beautiful country of ours, with all of
its many possibilities, is going to be held
back like the race horse with his rider on
the ground Juggling at the bits instead of
being on his back urging him on, while his
competitors are advancing by leaps and
bounds towards the goal!
There Is no question about our having
the fast horse Tin our country; all that is
is for us to remove the pressure
from the bits (stop opposing everything that
smacks Of progress and public spirit) and
our horse Country will come out nick and
shoulders ahead of anything on the track.
The first district or Eunice end of the ward
is going to have a similar election on the
18th of February, and it is my opinion that
the tax will carry there. Now If we vote it
down the Eunice end of the ward will have
good roads, because they will furnish their
police juror with ample funds with which to
build their good roads, and our own end of
The ward will remain with bad roads be-
cause you embarrass or tie the hands of
police juror by refusing to give him
The necessary money with which to build you
good roads.
Now, my friends, I am going to put the
responsibility on your shoulders. # you
want good roads, give me the money with
which to build them. # you don want
good roads, vote this tax down. but tn en- do
not blame your police juror for bad roads
when you are responsible for it yourselves.
Yours for good roads and progress.
P. FOSTER.