The Fayette falcon. (Somerville, Tenn.) 190?-current, 1920-07-23
The Farmer and the Road Law

II Its population. Ii they could be in
duced to act togt ther they would be
Industrislly and politically iri esistible.
But unfortunately for them they Insist
upon acting individually and in practice
resolutely set themselves against col
lective bargaining. All other trades
and professions can combine and secure
remedial Legislation. Our legislatures
have gwen protection TO ait other pro-
fessions. The squirrels. the birds, even
the fish have all mad their proper share
OF protective legislation, but the farm
er and the rabbit are never out of sea.
son. they are lawful game all the year
round.
Farmers grumble aud complain but
refuse to take the necessary steps to
make their complaints effective. Class
legislation should be rarely INDUCED 10
but every class has right to insist
upon receiving its proper share of rec.
ignition when such tavors are going,
10 the farmers the two most vital
questions are roads and schools. Coun-
try life Is unbearable unless the roads
are In at least d apassable condition, and
no right thinking man will live where
bis ch,idr ncannot receive an education.
4 set the farmer hardly has a voice in
road laws or 10 school laws. This of
course is his fault. He simply stands
back aud let's George do 1t" As q
result be gets such lemons as our pres
ent road law wished on him.
This law places the road funds of
each district In tue hands of Highway
Commission with no limitation on how
or where it is to be spent. The taxes
OF number Fix can be and have been
taken by these authorities and spent
entirely out of the district. In order
that each district may have small
, fund to spend on its own imperative
needs this law graciously places wheel
tax on the broad shouldered agricul-
turist and allows this to remain to the
credit of the district. Having taken
the hide II permits the tail TO stay at
home provided the people will perpet-
uate this special form of double taxa
tlon..
Under this law the County Court
appoints three of its own members
: Commissioners. These Commissioners
, elect the Chairman of the County Court
their secretary at salary Of $500 per
year. The Chairman has a right to
J appoint the members if any vacancies
occur. They can reelect the Chairman
Secretary and thus the charmed circle
is complete. Heaven cares for its own.
History tells US that there was once
in Tennessee a County Court that de.
clared war and made peace, negotiated
or rather attempted to negotiate a
treaty with Spain. regulated the cur
rencs. raised armies. passed various
sumptuary laws and exercised a govern
ment moro purely absolute than ever
fiourished ON American soil before or
since. One thing can be said in its
favor. however. II never tried to stop
the flow of time and make the present
the past. II never heard of '.Nunc
protunc" process. Joshua made the
sun and moon stand still but we have
no proof that be ran them backward.
He lacked modern ingenuity. II he
had been working under our present
road law he would probably have acted
differently,
ln the meanwhile the farmers whose
industdsl. social, and domestic lives
depead upon good roads, true to their
tradition of non interference in public
affairs. let George do it. Why should
we worry over bad roads? By and by,
we viii have visiting delegations Of
bankers. politicians. and manufacturers
who will paint the beauties and felici.
ties of agricultural life and give us lots
Of good advice shout things they know
notaing about
Let not your hearts be troubled.
Taxes are necessary burden. They
should be paid cheerfuIly and honestly.
Then the tax payers have Q right
to demand that they shall receive q
proper return for their money. This
present road Law has given US the worst
roads we have had In ten years. The
expense has been enormous. The
three men who have acted as Commiss-
toner's are men of unquestioned integ.
rity and of undoubted ability. | have
state. again and again that id not
question their honesty,
They failed in their task because the
law 10 unsulted to our conditions and
tractors cannot handle our roads.
Tractors can make good roads better
but they cannot make bal roads good.
This law has been tried and has igno-
miuuously failed. Why bold on to III
What possible objection can honest