The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1917-07-20

The agitation which has sprung up
headed by citizens on the eastern side
Of the parish may, and probably vii,
Go some good, inasmuch as it will
tend to make the parties attacked a
little more keen in the discharge Of
ther duties, but The matter should
not he allowed to go too far, that is,
into the courts.
1he parish needs a system of roads
If i. had not the citizens would not
have voted 100000 bond issue to
roads at glI,atI Observation-Disclosures
bu Id them. If we do need the roads
at all, we need them now. Therefore
we rise to ask, why throw stumbling
b Jcks in the way of their prompt
contraction?
The taxpayers really have no rea-
son TO pick a quarrel with ether the
ENGINEER, the contractors or the gray
eli company, or the police jury, in fact,
at this tine, although it is the police
jury that is holden unto the public
for the proper conduct Of the affairs
Of the parish, The taxpayers voted
the bond issue and empowered the
po.i~e jury to expend these funds ju-
diclousiy for system of improves
highways. The police jury has let
the contracts for the eng neering, The
material and the construction, accord
ing to thair own judgment. Thus, he
engineer, the gravel company and the
contractors are responsible to the pO-
lice jury and not to he public for tbs
faithful conduct of Their undertake
ings. IN the same way the taxpayers
hod the police jury respons bic TO,
the economical expenditure of tn
funds and TIE satisfactory construc
tion Of the highways.
Until th" police jury accepts thu
roa Is from ne contractors the public
really has no grounds for a kick, ant
up to The present no part Of the
roads has been accepted from tn,
contractors. The fact of the mat
A., is work is still progressing on tn
Janalngs-Laka Arthur road over
which TIE entire controversy centers
Referring 20 the charges agains'
the gravel company, it is evident tina
tie gravel they are furnishing wi
not teg. 80 per cent rock and the!
have never furnished bond as they
promised 10 do At tie present the
probably would not furnish he bon,
if they could. But, as the Alexandrii
Gravl Company was the only one
making bid that was within tn,
reach of the parish, and as the pr c.
OF gravel has advanced since tha
tine until it is reasonable to pre-
sumo that company would be please
TO throw up the deal, it does not loo!
Ike good business sense 10 cut then
off until some better arrangement J.
made. According to the engineer
statement it would be cheaper to adj
the required percentage of washer
gravel than to buy gravel Of the stan
dard first set
AS the matter stands we think tn
police jurymen are to be trusted full,
in the conduct of the road building
and certainly we will hold them t
\ full account in the end. They wer
d elected by the people and fully EN-
7 powered to carry out the work, an
consequently we cannot see where tn
citizens have any direct dealing wit
the contractors or the engineer.
/. is rumored that if the police jur
refuses to comply with me request
o. the Citizens Committee" tn
matter viii be thrown into he court
Such a move would be very good fc
the lawyers, but would mean the holc
inc up Of the work for long tim
rel ewing Of the police jury from r.
sron-ibiLty and a general mix-u
which would be dis,astefuI and vel
expensive. Why a seif-constitutt
committee should take upon themse'v
so much liberty we cannot understan
IF The taxpayers Of the parish want,
an invest cation of the road VOL
they would appeal to the police jul
to appoint an investigating commi
tee, and that committee then won
have some vCstige of authority.