Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 20, Number 85, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 June 1899 — Gravel Roads in Union. [ARTICLE]

Gravel Roads in Union.

Editor Republican: Permit me a word about our gravel roads and how we make them out in Union Tp. We have just completed another mile of gravel road. This makes six miles of road that we have made in a little less than two years. To make this road we have used about SIBOO in money. Mott ly of the poll and road taxes, and the rest has been donated. Now in our township the Ry. co. pays 45 per cent of our taxes and the non-residents, such as Thompson, Kent, Otis and others pay 30 per cent. This leaves the actual or home residents to pay 25 per cent or $450, which if prorated would be a very small affair to each individual. But the question comes to me quite often, are our taxes higher than in former years? When I came in the special school was 25 per cent. I took 5 per ct. off of this fund and put it on the Tp. fund and this is the fund by which we get our money to make roads. I also raised this fund 10 cents.

I also raised the tuition fund 2 cents last year, making in all a raise of twelve cents. So you see we are paying but little more tax than in former years, and besides this we have lately built two new school houses, and have two more schools to maintain than formerly. We tried the old plan of scraping up mud and sand for the last forty years and have no roads, so we thought it time to set a new land mark and do something per manent. Of course we are blessed by having plenty of gravel in our Tp. but I believe if every Tp. in the county would take hold of their roads in this way and do something permanent every year though it be small, in a short time our roads would be greatly improved without our being eaten up by gravel road taxes. Respt.

B. L. COMER,

Trustee of Union Tp.