The Johnson City comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1916-1917, 1916-03-16

auto tax is placed on roads leading
into Jonesboro; only one road John
son City gets any tax and that road
also goes to Jonesboro, If it gets any
tax it will likely be on the Jonesboro
end. Where is the fairness of the
schemers?
To attempt to construct a first
class system of roads by the work
house system is simply absurd.
If the present workhouse method is
the best plan of building a good sys-
tenn of roads, if it is the most eco
nomical, why is it that all the coun-
ties that have good road system not
only in East Tennessee. but in the
entire state, have built them some
other way? Is it because the judg-
ment of the work-huose parasite is
far superior to that of all the other
counties combined? Have they re-
Gently been endowed with some SUI
pernatural power from on high?
What about the circular headed,
work House Information. Jonesboro.
Tenn, March 8, 1916" The said cir
ular is being sent out from Jonesboro
to all parts of the county. | don't
believe any such conversation, as
stated in said circular, has ever ia
ken place between those nine men
and the county chairman. If so, l
would be pleased to see the qualified
statement of the stenographer who
took down the questions and answers.
How did it happen that those men
went in body to the chairman, and
who was their spokesman?
Now, is not a fact, that much time
and study had been given to the said
questions? 1t seems like concocted
plan, and when everything was ready
these men came in and signed up.
The said circular says, There is
not dollar levy, and never will be"
and again it says, IF there should be
dollar levy, or levy for any 9TH
err amount, it could not be for more
| than one year." In the first state
ment they say there will never be a
dollar levy, but in the next they adj
nit the county court has the right to
make a dollar levy.
In another circular claims are
| made of the mileage and cost of a
number of roads built by the said
| workhouse, but claims are not true.
The circular claims: "a Jonesboro
to Fall Branch, IS miles, but long be-
fore the workhouse was born, the
road had been built to the foot of
Stewards Hill and when it was fin
ished hundreds of dollars were given
by the citizens along the route, that
the workhouse people have never ac-
counted for; (2) Jonesboro to Dead
erick Bridge, 8 miles, but / am in
formed that it is only miles, g.
Embreeville Road to Browns Mill,
one and one-half miles, and l am in
formed that there is not more than
one-fourth mile of actual work DONE
(4) McClure's to Greene county line,
10 miles, but it is said to be only z
miles; 90 to the Glaze Bridge, 21a
miles; it is said to be ~ miles; (6)
Jonesboro to Yorktown, II miles, but
about s miles since 1910; CD Doug
las Shed to Indian Ridge, 10 miles,
it is said to be not over miles; 90
c. C. Cox's l mile, not foot has been
graded; 90 Johnson City to Watauga
Bridge, 21a miles, left when the job
was half done; QO) 1st district, /
mile, said to be about 40 yards done:
QD Little Cherokee, l mile, said to
be about $50 yards done; Q2) Prin-
ceton to Austin Springs, 2h miles,
not over u mile done by workhouse,
the other 2 miles wer graded by the
citizens of Austin Springs and John
son City long before the workhouse
came. I can prove the last state
ment by 100 men. There have been
about SO or IS miles graded by the
workhouse and the cost is much
more than claimed because several
thousand dollars have been given in
subscriptions that do not appear on
any record; also, many hundreds of
dollars have been paid out of the
general county fund, that does not
appear in the reports of the work
house commission.
No living man knows what the !
roads have cost per mile, but many |
of our best informed citizens tell us |
that the cost cannot be less than
$4,000 per mile.
If those men who seem to know so
much about the graft and Doodle
gang why do they not go before the
grand jury and put the boodlers in
the chain gang? II they know moth
ing they should seal their lips and
forever hold their peace.
The workhouse octopus says: BE
patient, rest easy, your time will
come by and by" but my friends your
hair will turn gray, your steps bel
come feeble, and many of us will be
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