Rensselaer Republican, Volume 26, Number 4, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 September 1893 — A Perfect Gravel Road Law. [ARTICLE]

A Perfect Gravel Road Law.

An article under the above heading, if confined strictly to the subject, would be like a celebrated essay on “The Snakes of which essay consisted only of this one sentence: “There are no snakes in Ireland.” So, also, there is no perfect gravel road law, and no possibility of there ever being one devised. Still we believe that it would be possible to frame a law which would contain most of the best points of the several gravel road laws now on the statute books of this state, and one under which good roads could be built with less hardship and injustice, than under any of those existing laws. The newest law, that under which the election was lately held in Rensselaer, is good in that it catches such property as that of railroads, of merchants, bankers &c., which under the older laws, would not be caught at all. It is bad, in that property but little benefitted by the roads must pay as much for building them as property that is benefitted a great deal. It is bad also, in that, while people living remote from a system of roads

built under its operation would be obliged to help pay for their building, but when they themselves wanted a shorter road in their own neighborhood, built under the same plan, the chances are that their road would be voted down, and they would have to build it themselves, or go without. The law is also defective in that, as the roads must, after they are built, be free for the general public, the general public ought to pay for their use by at least keeping them in repair, as it keeps m repair roads built under the older laws, by a tax levied on all the property in the county; instead of which this new law keeps them up solely at the expense of the property of the towns and townships that built it. And if the entire county should be required to give some greater assistance than it now does in building the roads it would be no more than justice, as is suggested further on. It is also bad in that much greatly benefitted property, lying near the roads but in other townships, doesnot pay anythingat all towards building them. In the case of the three roads voted upon here lately, there are not less than 25 sections of such benefitted but non-paying lands, lying within two miles of those proposed roads. With this, by way of introduction, we shall now give, as briefly and concisely as we may, the general features of our idea of the kind of gravel road law that would secure and maintain free gravel roads, with the least injustice to 'individuals, and to the general' public: ——-

Two methods should be provided for having the roads “ordered. One by an election of the whole township or townships; the other by a petition of a majority of the land owners affected. The first cost of building the roads should one half be paid by a tax on all the property, real and personal, in the township, including the towns; and tho other half be assessed upon the lands and lots within the two mile limit, in such manner as the whole cost of such roads is now assessed, under the old laws. The money tcrtjuild the roads should be advanced by the county, either out of county funds on hand, or that might be raised by a county tax, or by the sale of county bonds, as the county commissioners thought best, in each particular case. That half of the cost of the roads assessed against the proper—ty most benefitted should be "paid back to the county in eight equal annual payments.

The other half, assessed against all the taxable property of the townships and towns, should be paid back to the county as fast as a 25 cents on the SIOO yearly tax would pay it, and no faster. The ebunty should be paid no internet upon this Advanced money, for, as before stated, the general pablie

has the free use of the roads, and it would be no moreHhan fair that the county should help build them to the extent of advancing* the exercise of a little forethought, the county commissioners could generally provide enough money for this|pn rpose, as it was required, by a small county tax, without itself being obliged to borrow, and thus not have to pay any interest A further provision should be added to the law by which the viewers might assess lands a mile©r two beyond the two mile limit, whep, in their judgment, such lands were obviously greatly benefitted by the road; such as by furnishing a convenient route to the county seat or an important market town. Owners of such benefitted lands beyond the two mile limit should be given the privilege of having the question of their assessability, and the rate thereof determined by an impartial jury, if they so demanded. Supposing, by way of illustration, the system of roads lately voted on in Rensselaer and Marion Township should be built under such a law as above proposed: It would assess, under the two mile limit, about 18,000 acres of benefitted lands in other townships and which under the law they were voted on, would not have paid a dollar. And under the proviso permitting asssessments be yond the two mile limit, many thousandaof acres more could be fairly assessed, in other townships. All the property in the town and township would help build the roads, but the property most benefitted would pay more than that which was benefitted less, as would be just and right. The people who paid for the first cost of the roads would not have to pay i n addition to that, the interest on that first cost, as they would under all the present laws, for the county , as before stated, would have to advance that money without interest. Neither would the people who paid for the roads have to pay for keeping them in repair, for the county would pay that, also. Under such a law as above outlined, all, or nearly all property materially benefitted, would help pay for the roads, and the property most benefitted, would pay a proportionally larger share of their cost. It would secure a maximum of fairness at a minumum of injustice; and under its provisions nearly every community could soon secure good, permanent roads, on terms not at all burdensome to the people. Such a law would be especially well adapted to the present condition of Jasper county, and could probably be easily secured from the next Legislature, if the proper efforts were put forth. We ask our readers to think of and study over this matter, and we will gladly open our columns to the further discussion of this very important question.