The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1916-05-25
CORRESPONDENCE
The Road Is WhatWe Need,

The Road Is What We Need.
Dear Editor: note that the columns
of the Banner have for week or so pas,
been quite crowded, but l wish to Offer
contribution on vital subject, which
you will please give space, if possible
and | would also thank you to freely
edit the same for me.
Road District No. 3 will vote Tuesday
of next week on the proposition to issue
$4,000 of road bonds, the money to be
realized from the sale of the bonds to be
used in building good hard surface
roads in the district. The second prop
osition to be voted upon is to discon-
tinue the 6-mill tax now in effect. The
friends of the bond movement say that
these thirty-year serial bonds, bearing
3 per cent interest, will require tax
levy for the first year of So mills, fol-
the second year the same, and for the
third year only 51s mills. The tax will
reach not exceeding mills in the fourth
year, and possibly 81 mills for one year
OF the thirty. This estimate is based on
the minimum assessed valuation and
the maximum possible expense to the
taxpayers. In truth, the figures are
based on an assessed valuation of only
S56O,OO0, while the actual 1915 assessed
valuation was S5S4 $3.50. No allowance
is made, either, for the rapid increase
that will occur in assessable values
during the thirty years. Road District
NO. 5 embraces the most prosperous and
most rapidly developing section in the
parish and it is but reasonable to hope
that the assessable values will more than
double long before the last bond ma
lures. When it is remembered that
every load hauled over good roads saves
the tax-paying freighter good money in
additional load carried, wear and tear of
team and wagon and saving in time, the
little additional tax seems insignificant
In the second proposition, to repeal
the present 6-mill road tax (voted for
general road purposes) it is to be hoped
that the taxpayers will vote against the
proposition. Here are the reasons: The
assessed valuation of the property in the
district is S5S4,390, which yields a road
fund of S3506.35. OF this nonresident
taxpayers contribute S1015.31 and resi-
dent taxpayers contribute S1691.04. If
We get the good results of good roads
with nonresidents paying more than
half the cost where is tie sense in re-
pealing a good thing? We want good
roads, do we not?
Yet again, we pay 1mill tax to the
state which goes into the state road
fund, and only comes back to those par
ishes which have sufficient enterprise to
get into the good roads movement. BY
allowing the state to have charge of the
building Of the proposed hard -surface
road in Road District No. 3, Bossier
Parish, the state gives us back our 1-mill
tax in the guise Of $1,000 permile. Thus
the state and the nonresidents pay about
roads bonds we are going to vote upon
Tuesday. And it is no injustice to the
nonresident, either, for his land will in
crease in value to him by reason of the
utility Of the roads to those who farm
his lands. We have to pay the 1-mill
state road tax anyway and if we want it
back we must get into the bodybuilding
business.
From Dixie Cross Roads north to the
Arkansas line the hills are full of rock
good for road building. Our roads can
therefore be built more cheaply than
were those in the southern portion of the
parish. And even though the roads in
the southern portion of the parish did
cost more than ours will cost the people
who dwell within range of their use
would not do without them at a cost of
even a higher tax than they are now
paying for them. Also, it should be
cited that we already have good rock
crusher which could be used on this ma
terial already at hand, and any number
of our resident farmers would be pleased
to have jobs in hauling the rock during
the summer months after their crops
are laid by.
Good roads are not an expense, it may
be remembered; they are an investment
the best that a people ever made-and
the proof is that all the complaint as to
additional taxes go before the roads
come into use, and good roads always
convert their opponents.
1t is urged by some of the business
men of Plain Dealing that if a nosth
and south improved highway is con-
structed through this ward, to connect
with that leading south through Benton,
that it will be so easy then to reach
Shreveport that we will lose some of our
trade. They cite the fact CD that such
condition has followed in Benton and
Belcher. Perhaps so, as they see it, but
| remain unconvinced as to the truth OF
the assertion. Plain Dealing enjoys a
good auiite trade, and al,rays has, and
this has been steadily expanding with
each succeeding year. Also, it is much
further removed from Shreveport than
are the other two towns, which would
make the trip arduous and entail such
loss of time that the average citizen
would not wish to undertake it. Plain
Dealings trade is hers, and it will
remain so. 1t has been built up chiefly
because of liberal prices paid for cotton
cotton seed and all country produce and
because the stocks of merchandise here
are all kept fresh and full and sold on q
narrow margin of profit. These are facts
so we'll established that they are known
in our sister towns. And the construc-
ton of-good .hard-surface roads leading
into Plain Dealing from whatever direc-
ton will not rob us of trade, but will ir
every instance increase our trade.
-BUSINESS MAN.