Jasper County Democrat, Volume 22, Number 51, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 September 1919 — ALL ROADS ARE TURNED DOWN [ARTICLE]

ALL ROADS ARE TURNED DOWN

Council Votes Against Public Utility of County Unit RoadsAa predicted by The Democrat, the county council at its meeting last Friday turned down all of the 11 systems of stone roads, about 50 miles, reported on by the county commissioners and petitioned for under the county unit law. All members of the council were present and the voting was done in public, and not behind locked or closed doors, as stated by the Republican. After hearing arguments pro and con the council did go into executive session at about 3 o’clock in - th© afternoon behind closed doors and talked the matter over among themselves. They then reopened the doors and admitted the public, when a motion was made by George H. May of Carpenter and seconded by Wester Bowdy, also* of Carpenter, that “The council finds that the estimate and improvement of each of the said above highways as reported by the county commissioners are not of public utility and that the report of the county commissioners should be disapproved and that the prayer in each of the said petitions be denied.” Upon call of the roll the vote stood as follows: Ayes—Bowdy, May, Hart, Jackson; noes—Pullins, Cook. Councilman Prouty did not This action of th© council disposes of all the 11 systems of roads reported on and which aggregated an estimated cost of nearly $350/(100, all the townships being given some roads except Carpenter and Marion, which had not petitioned for any, as follows: Newton Township— * C. C. Parks road No. l.s 0,445.88 C. >C. Parks road No. 2. 10,993.20 C. C. Parks road No. 3. 10,939.16 C. C. Parks road No. 4. 36,485.04 <7 io :.i T ’rttro 1 ' —■— i:i » $ 64,863.28 Wheatfield ©nd Kankakee Tps.A. DUgglbby road No. I.s 20,026.30 A. Duggleby road No. 2. 35,448.58 A. puggleby road No. 3. 7,1412.70 !■; > $ 62,657.58 J. F. Mitchell, Jordan.. $ 35,09*0.46 E. R. Cook, Hank.' Gtv. 38,643.94 Edward Tanner, Barkley 10,647.63 W. B. Fisher, Milroy.. 19,698.75 C. W. Brand, Milroy.. 15,651.00 G. L». Parks, Milroy.-... 17,017.00 Ernest Conner, Union. . 13,908.83 Thos. F. Murphy, Union and Newton .. . ... . 14,177.81 Harvey Davisson, 3 r’ds, Gillam and Walker, 1 16,483.96 Same, No. 2 2,840.50 Same, No. 3 • • 5,541.79 Grand total $346,551.71 It was generally felt that too much was being asked for and that many of the roads were not of general use, and there Is but very little objection being made to the action of the council in turning down the entire lot, and this only from a few people who were most' directly benefited. Under the county unit law the petitioners are held for all the costs where the roads fail to go through, and the costs in these 11 roads will probably average about $l5O each, or a total in the neighborhood of $1,600 or $1,700. This cost includes the publication fees, sheriff's fees, engineer, viewers, etc. It does not include attorney fees, which would follow the 1m-

provehients, the same as the above costs, had the petitions been granted. ■ ’ . ,