The Natchitoches enterprise. (Natchitoches, La.) 1888-1965, 1915-09-30
Don't Vote for Road Bonds OF
Taxes Without Provision for
Road Maintenance.

The Progressive Farmer believes
in good roads, as everybody
knows. Nobody needs good roads
more than the farmer and his
family. Good roads increase pro-
fits and enrich social life. Poor
roads cost more than goods ones.
At the same time, we have
reached the conclusion that it is
our patriotic duty TO advise our
readers to vote against road bonds
or road taxes whenever the plans
for building the roads do not in
clude proper provision for MAIN
tanning them after they are built.
On another page of this Issue Mr..
Henry A. Page sounds a bu9Ie-
note regarding this matter. 1t Is
just as foolish to spend money to
build 2 road, without at the same
time providing for funds tQ khen
it up, as it would he to spend
money to get a horse without pro-
viding feed for him after he is
bought. The South has wasted
millions and millions by building
roads without keeping them p,
and it is high time TO stop vast g
the peoples tax money in t is
fashion. We must aim not me G.
~ to get good roads but to kt p
good roads.
Another important matter is
that of having all road expendi-
lures made under expert supervi
sion. On another page we are
quoting Secretary of Agriculture
Houston as saying: The nation
today is spending annually the
equivalent of more than 5000, 900,
600 for roads. Much of this is
directed by local supervisors and
it is estimated by experts that of
the amount so directed anywhere
from so to 40 per cent is, rela
lively speaking, wasted or mis-
directed. Every state should
have state highway commission,
and the people should not vote
money for any expensive scheme
If county road Improvement until
t has been approved by experts.
The third matter we wish to
Emphasize is the importance of the
Dad drag. AS we have said be-
ore, the drag is undoubtedly the
cheapest good roads maker yer
invented, and if some commet )ial
had patented it and sod
q, i've times its cost, ey5iy
snHsiaessia 80 or --r,.en lie
heap that people will not realize
What a wonder-worker it is. Yfel
lime to prevent next winters bad |
.oads is now, and the way. to
prevent them is to make plans to
nave the roads dragged. Eveiy /,
farmer interested ought to seeNhis !
road authorities and de-
nand action. Send to the, Unite
States Department of Agriculture,
Washington, d. g., for a free
,opv of Farmers Bulletin 59f,
The Road Drag and How to Use
It." and keep Fostering your
'ellow-citizens until your count
gets the dragging habit.
Let us keep these three princi
,les in mind:
l. Road building is too expen-
i've business for you to entrust
t to men without expert know
edge. Demand that your state
highway commission approve your
,ounty's projects.
2. The cheapest way to kee
lirt roads in good condition is b.
he use of the drag. Demand that
7our county commissioners maxi
'lans for using it to improve tn
Dads you already have instead o.
pending all the road money build
ng new roads.
3. There is no such thing as a
permanent road,' hence no plai
or road building should be ap-
'roved unless it includes provision
or keeping up the roads afte
hey are built. The Progressiv,
'armer.