New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1919-03-08
ROAD BONDS AND TAXATION

On Thursday last the regular
meeting day of the Police Jury, |
the sale of. the road bonds TOR the
Fourth, Sixth and Seventh WARDS
consumed a great deal OF the time
of the members. After much de-
liberation. the bid of Porteus h.
Burke. attorney. was accep'eo'
covering an amount of $lU,ooo.o".
The bonds brought par with ac-
crued interest and the tax payers
Of the Wards interested, as Wen
as the citizens in general can now
look forward to an early start on
road construction i'll this PARISH.
The next step will be awarding
tbe bid to contractors. This Will
no doubt be done within the next
thirty DAYS, because the Ponce
jury intends to have as much Oh
this work done during 1917 as
possible. A committee was APP
pointed TO consult with the UNI
ted States Highway Department
at Washington to see if aid cannot
be given all of the public roads in
the Parish. According to recent
niece of legislation at Washington
great MANY of our citizens feel
that an appropriation can be Sc
cured from the Federal Treasury
!. that will at least cover all Of the
expense of ditching and draining.
Road supervisors were also APP
pointed to look after the interest
of the Parish in several different
ways while the work is under
way. The gentlemen who Will
look after the road construction in
the Fourth Ward are: Messrs. Ed
gar Oubre, Jules Pillet and DIR:
CIV A. Shaw. The Sixth Ward
-Messrs. James w. Wyche, John
Curtis, Sr.. Fred iettemeyer. C!et
Dumesnil and Jean Courage. The
Seventh Ward: Messrs. E. A. Melt
benny. Albert Delcambre, Omer
Landry, d. ID. Avery and Marcel
Derouen. The services of the
State Highway Engineer has been
accepted which will save the eX-
pense Of a Parish engineer. The
committees to be known as road
supervisors will point out the road
to be constructed and otherwise
J. have full power to see that con-
tractors live up to the speclfica-
tons. After this important work
is under way and the people OF the
Parish see the great benefits de-
rived from model gravel high
ways there will be no trouble eS-
perienced in getting the taxpayers
in the Wards where the taxes have
not been voted to change their
opinions.
Tn some Of the different Wards
there are few citizens who feel
lukewarm over the tax for roads
because they fear that after the
taxes are voted and the roads
completed. their assessments will
then be increased and for that
reason they are opposed to special
taxes for an improvement Of this
kind. 1t is unfortunate that
such an impression was ever
circulated, if it is to have the
effect of defeating a road tax. The
very fact that property owners
levy taxes upon themselves for
public improvement should tend
more to have the assessments low
cred, instead Of raised. This fea-
ture of our taxing laws is just the
opposite Of what it should be, and
a taxpayer should not be punished
because he improves his property
and assists in internal improve
ments. The whole taxing system
of the State should be revised. if
one is to be punished because he
contributes in making his COM
munity one that is fit to reside.
We know Of instances in New Ibe-
ria where houses that had been
renovated and painted was placed
on the assessments rolls at higher
value than delapidated property
in the same neighborhood. This is
unfair and tends greatly towards
retarding progress. It is unfort-
innate that eases Of this kind can