The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1920-01-22
A WORD ON the ROAD BONDS
Maple Grove, Wis, Jan. 90, 1920

TO TINS 4o,OOO,0OO bona Issue, as the
swivel chair element and slippery
tongued orators are going about those
days trying to hoo-doo everyone to
vote for it. Remember, Taxpayer, we
got zone white elephant unloaded on
us at last springs election, the county
fair ground, when scarcely we had the
deed recorded there was "A call for 81
900 for improvements and when they
were slipping it over on us everything
was said to be o. X. and didn't need
any improvements. So don't get this
big elephant" unloaded on you this
time because his trunk will be wound
around your neck for twenty years
Remember the old railroad bond that
hung around your neck, your fathers,
and >grandfather's neck since 1870 un-
til about ten years ago. | have heard
many of the older men, including my
father, say they put their head. neck
and heels in it when they voted for
that bond issue. Same case here.
How many of you people know that
there are $2,40O,OOO in the state treas
ury at Madison, Wis, belonging to the
state highway fund and the reason for
this large balance is the state highway
commission is not able to hire help
enough to spend it on account of
scarcity of labor, and material 80 per
cent higher than before the war?
| will say that the man who votes
for this bond issue is increasing the
high cost of living. l say so and defy
successful contradiction. Because
how are the farmers going to get help
to increase their production when the
laborer will work on the road at So per
day of eight hours and when us poor
suckers" will have to work Ii or l6
hours a day and can't pay man over
500 per month with board and wash
ing. How can we produce more when
we can't get the help to do it? We
will simply live and feed our family
and let the fellow who votes for "con-
crete roads eat concrete pudding or
muSh."
Now don't be miSled by thinking it
will cost only $3.50 or $500 per thous-
and valuation. 1t will cost away over
$40 or $3.50 per thousand valuation
at a bond of 100000 being issued
every year, as the soldiers bonus was
only Sl72,227 in this county and it
was over $500 per thousand; and lots
of the very men advocating this bond
issue were raising HI because the
poor soldier was voted a bonus. That
goes to show how easy some people are
misled. The high taxes will have
knocked the high cost of living into
cooked hat" as this concrete road will
cost $4,000 to $4,000 per mile with
the prices of labor and material at
present and concrete manufacturers
advancing the price 20 per cent on
April 10, 1920.
They appeal to the young men, tell
ing them they will have lots of work
eight-hour day, with big pay. Now,
young men, who are 2l and over, heed
my warning. If you have any object
in life, which | sincerely hope you all
have, it is to have a little home and
fireside of your own and become
holder, consequently you be-
come a taxpayer, and that | hope you
all will before you reach the age of "a
or rs. Then you will feel the burden
of this bond issue. 1t will haunt you
every year for IS or 20 years until
paid. Vote against it, and be free.
Don't roof your little home and fire
side with bond issues, or you will find
your bank account leaking. You far
mers that live along the proposed con
crete roads or live close to them can
rest assured your valuation will be
raised rs or 30 per cent. Joe won't
neglect that. But doubt it if you can
raise any better crops to help pay that
500 "A year extra for the road.
Now word to you who do not own
your own home but rents a house, or
house and lot farm or even a fur
nished room. You certainly all know
when the taxes go higher the landlord
is not going to be the loser and he
raises the rent 10 or Is per cent higher.
Protect yourself against it by voting
this bond issue down. Fall in line like
Calumet, Dane, Oconto, Marathan,
Ontagamie and half a dozen other
counties, and beat it 3 to l. They got
enough of concrete roads in Outagamie
county now to know they are "fiz-
zle" and they wish they never had
them and they showed it by beating
this last bond issue 3 to /.
1t gets my goat" to hear people
that don't pay l0-cent tax on real or
personal property, only what little in
come tax they pay, and others who
don't pay their taxes at all and let
them be returned to the county treas
urer and let the land be sold; and still
others who clean up and sell all the
grain in their granary not leaving
enough for feed or seed in the spring,