The Johnson City comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1916-1917, 1916-02-17
7 RIBUT { D
ROADS AND TAXES.

poses Will amount 10 P0Z,0UU LOT I06
year 1916. Johnson City will have to
pay about one-third this amount, or a
sum equal to SIT 1900.
While we will have to pay this, if
the people don't wake up and vote
this outrageous tax out, on March
25th next, the farmers of this county
will have to pay almost two-thirds of
the balance, or a sum of about $50, 900
for which they get nothing but some
muir roads, called pixies.
Listen at some figures for facts;
Sullivan county has $50 miles Of
macadam roads NOW.
Sullivan county pays a rate of $l75
for the year 1916,
Sullivan county has a valuation OF
only $5,O16,75O.
Sullivan county has q bond issue in
all of $65O,OO0.
Now compare this with Washington
county.
Washington county has eight miles
of macadam roads.
Washington county has bond is
sue of 100000.
Washington county has taxable
property of $6,600,000.
| Washington county has levied tax
rate of $3.50 for 1916.
/ With miles of macadam roads in
Washington county, she is now taxed
for $3.50 for 1916.
With $50 miles of macadam roads,
Sullivan county is only taxed at a
rate of SITS.
Washington county has almost ST.
100000 more property to pay taxes on
with only miles of roads, yet the
farmers and we of Johnson City are
taxed for 1916 the enormous tax of
$3.50.
In addition to this, Washington
county court has levied another tax
of cents on the hundred dollars, to
keep up repairs, and to pay a boss.
Under the county court plan, the
farmers and people of the towns will
be taxed to death, and never get to
see a road.
Mr.. Epps, chairman of the county
court, was in Johnson City few days
ago, with some or all of the county
road commissioners, and he admitted
that they knew nothing about build
ing roads, but were trying to find out
what to use and how to build roads.
This is an honorable admission, and
for it have no criticism of Mr.. Epps.
1t only goes to prove that the people
would be real silly to vote money for
men to handle and build roads, when
they admit that they know nothing of
road building.
They even made inquiry of Mr.. Nc
Donald, the city engineer, to know if
Stag would not make good roads. Mr..
Mcdonald told them it would not.
Why any man who ever saw good
road, would ask such a question is
far beyond my conception.
Saw-dust is just about as good as
Stag.
When railroad men build railroads,
they get railroad builders to take the
contracts. They never employ county
courts to build them.
Washington county has a bond
issue of 100000, and this paid for the
only roads worth calling a road in
Washington county
Washington county, Virginia, has
spent $4,000 in the past ten years for
roads through the county court plan,
and she has not got five miles of
roads in the county that were built
that way.
Greene county, Tenn, has spent al
most 100000 for roads, by the bond
method, and she has over 200 miles
of good roads NOW, and their taxes
are but a few cents more than the
tax will be in Washington county,
Tenn, for 1916.
1t is now up to the voters of Wash
ington county be he farmer or
town man, to wake up and vote down
the county court pull on our tax-pay-
ers. Under that plan, we will never
get any roads.
Johnson City needs the farmers
fruits, his farm products, and is an
open market, and she stands ready
and willing to give him big price
for them.
The farmer has no roads over
which to bring his products to the
best market in East Tennessee.
Johnson City is not opposed to the
county court plan, except for the
reason, that under that plan we will
die many years too soon, and long
before we shall get in touch with our
county farmers.
The interests of Johnson City and
the interests of the farmers of this
county are one and the same.
What benefits Johnson City will
benefit the farmer, if We had roads, |
and what benefits the farmer will
benefit Johnson City if we had the
roads.
That is the whole truth and moth
ing but the truth.
We have no ill will for Jonesboro, |
but she has no market of Importance
for farm products. She must ship |
farm products that she buys to the
outside world, and she can't pay as
much for them as Johnson City, |
whose people consume them in large |
quantities.
Jonesboro lives off the farmers
she produces nothing and never has.
She has lived through and by the
farmers, and that is why she
against Johnson City.
Jonesboro is good old town,
with many fine people but she should
ay down her prejudices against
Johnson City, as this is the best
market for the farmer, and he knows
It, too, and yet on account of the
prejudice that has been worked up
,ver and over again, the farmers are
yoting with Jonesboro to their great
injury.
Johnson City has five factories that
AVE come here within less than eight
,nnnthc thnt will n,n nlnu nrnr rEn