Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1915-11-12
FROM THE PEOPLE.
The Road Question.
Editor of Tee Beacon

lasting one, and | suppose, like
Tennyson's brook it will run on
forever. Without a intention to
complain, but just to state a few
facts as | see it and to register a
few good natured kicks" at the
unfairness in which the roa0 tax
is levied and collected, is the OBJ
ject of this letter. | suppose
there are many farmers in the
county who are located just as |
am, and will view this question
from the same standpoint that |
do. But for the condition of the
roads first:
1t is my observation that in the
three years that the gravel ,ads
kave been down there has never
been a ditch opened or cleaned
out and in district two there are
more than dozen washouts,
most of them being made by the
tropical storm and rains which
fell a little more than a month
ago, and have not yet been
touched. All recognize and ad-
NIT that the vital point in road
up-keep is drainage and had the
bitches along these roads had the
proper attention the washouts,
in most instances, would not
have occurred. In a number of
places the bitches is higher than
the road and the shoulder" (for
which we paid so much) has been
washed away and the ditch has
encroached until it is now along
the gravel itself. In some of
these bitches the hedge has
grown up taller than a mans
head, and the weeds and grass
proportionately as bad. Culverts
in a number of places are stopp.
ed up. the consequence is that
the water fndsits outlet across
the road. Some one, about a
mile from town, has made a
dumping ground for trash and
has filled up the ditch.
And now as to the unequitable
method of taxation, taking my
own case as an example. The
hands on my place are called out
for road work and show up as
follows:
Six teams at S1.OO a day. Sc 90
Nine hands at SOC day 80. 4 50
making $10.50 day, and for ten
days road duty, $105. Add to
this my tax for maintenance of
roads, $5.67, making 0.67, and
fer the three years under the
good roads system, 1892. The
above figures as all will agree, is
a low estimate for hands and
team and does not figure in the
loss of time from the crops.
Now take this same farm and |
place it on the gravel road and
see what the taxation will be.
Do the teams and hands go out?
No. Is the time of the hands
lost from the farm? No. Is the
owner otherwise inconvenience
ed? No. And what is paid for
the up-keep of the road? Simp-
ly the l mill maintenance tax
$5.67 or $17.01 fo1 the three
years. Now in all fairness, is
this equitable?
But it can be said, that he is
under the Good Roads
Law" providing for a tax on
every man and animal. Now,
has a cent of that tax ever been
paid, or even demanded? | am
told that some, in fear that the
tax will be demanded. have their
hands assigned to some side road,
but it is a we'll known fact that
the side-roads are seldom, if ever,
There is another side of this
question to look at. Every one
will agree that lands located on
a hard road have increased in
value at least fifty per cent. Has
there been any change in the tax
Not that any one
has heard. 1t does seem that we
unfortunates off the gravel roads
are getting the buzzard and the
others the turkey from every side
of the question.
Then again, after every rain,
we are required to get out and
drag the road, with no pay, while
our friends along the dirt road
las in district 81 has his dragged
for him which we help to pay for.
Where is the justice?
Why cannot these places on the
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