The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1915-02-12
ROUSING HARD ROADS
MEETING AT COURTHOUSE
Thirteenth District Unanimous for
Genuine Hard Roads.

Genuine Hard Roads.
A rousing hard roads meeting was
held at the courthouse last Monday pur-
suant to a call made by Ed. McAlister,
road commissioner OF the Thirteenth
Civil District of Obion County, and two
very strong points were brought out to
show that this statement is fact. The
first was that leading citizens of the dis
trict are in favor of taxation for the
construction of hard roads, whether
that be in the form of bond issue or
otherwise, and the next was that there
shall be no compromise on genuine
hard road system. Oil roads were sug-
gested as a substitute, but little senti-
ment developed along that line, the
unanimous opinion being that some
standard system of hard road con-
struction should be adopted.
S. R. Bratton was called to the chair
and ]. M. Brice and E. H. Marshall
were selected as secretaries.
Quite a number of the leading citi
zens addressed the meeting and there
was not dissenting voice upon the
main issue of hard roads and the man.
ner of providing ways and means for
them.
w. G. Reynolds, one of the leading
authorities on good roads in this county,
was in favor of the taxing district plan.
He believed that the Thirteenth Dis
trict could be formed into road tax
ing district; either that or some par
tcular line of road, upon the consent
of the citizens along the line, could be
made taxing district and empowered
by the Legislature to act independently
and tax it's citizens for hard roads. This
could be done by taxation direct or a
bond issue, subject to the ratification of
the voters resident in this district.
| ESQ. w. G.. Morris spoke in favor OF
| system of hard roads and the most
feasible proposition for the construction
| OF these roads. He believed the peo-
pie were abundantly able to pay for a
system OF macadam roads in this dis
trict and the demand for them is gen.
eral.
DR.. T. E. Marshall spoke in favor OF
hard roads. He was willing that his
land should be taxed for hard roads to
extend from Union City as far as pos
sible in the county and the best plan to
build them. He wanted genuine hard
roads and no substitute.
DorrelI Harris proposed the building
of sample road in Number Thirteen,
but this brought response that we had
numbers OF samples and wanted the
real thing. In other words we are
ready to build roads when the proper
plans are submitted.
Mr.. Reb Lockert made the query
first: Do we want good roads, and then
how shall we build and pay for them?
This brought the response that we do,
and are ready to devise ways and means
for construction.
Mr.. o. Spradlin, one of our land own
ers, spoke in favor Of hard roads sys-
tenn for the district, and was even will
ing to assist other districts in the county
in the organization of road taxing dis
tricts. He stated that he was willing
that his land should be taxed as much
as four dollars an acre, if necessary, for
system of good hard roads, and then
he thought it would be profitable in
vestment. He was in favor OF any
feasible and practical plan.
Henry P. Moss, one of our we'll
known farmers, was willing to give a
good slice of his farm for good roads.
He certainly felt that they are needed
because just now he couldn't get to his
farm. In road construction large per
cent of the cost would be spent here at
home.
Mr.. Geo. Dahnke, of the Dahnke-
Walker Milling Co., land owner and
farmer, stated that there was not a
year that farmers could not pay as
much as five dollars an acre to trans
fer their grain and other products to
market at the right season instead OF
dumping it all on the market at one
time. Mr.. Dahnke holds to the logic,
and it is mighty good too, that there is
not money enough in the country to
move all the grain at one time, or in
few weeks time, and therefore farmers
need good roads to serve them at time
when the market is good.
Mr.. Jake Caldwell said that he had
often repeated bis opinion that good
roads could never be made of our dirt
and that everybody had now come to