The Good Road Amendment Explained

The foilowinir expíalos tlve roafl aiin-mlmi-nt tu be voted npon ne.t Mondny : Tlw ]fi;ü-lMtiirc liaa subnütted to the efecton ol t he state a propos tion ti anioud the roiiKtitution sci ;is to iicriiiit Ol tilt' eiNU-tniciit Oi lnws ppovjcllng for a county gystem "f roade. TbM piwpoBlttcm la to be votcd ni)!in by the people on the tbW lay af April, 1898. It is, tbereiore, importaut tli.'il pi iivisions shoulil linadere bood. 'Die ameodment ;il a.uthoriie the i -l.i luie i" provlde (or the lay'mii out, conetructSoo and madntenance of . o.uiiy and ioun.-li p roada ; tlie county roede aro to Ik1 maiiitaincd at the oxiejiw' oí tibe rouniy and tbc township i-i ia ds iLli.' same as now) at the ezpenw ol Uie townahip. The comidaBiIoaerB wIuj il have charge ol h,e oounty roade are to be elected by hc A tax, luit cxr,'i'd':iifí t'(i lilis on tiiw dollar of the oseessed alinitmn. is autJiorized. Count';es cai t huiir indcbtcdiK'.ss for the tructiim r maintenance of country ia ils exoept upon a vote of twobdMl 04 the supervisors, approwd y a ïnajoi-ity voto of the electora of he coojrty. Sucli todetotedness can notni any time es :eed thxee per cent. f thr valuation. I: llh,:s aiiHMHlmrlit slnnild be adoptad and Uit' proper siaiutc paseed by tlio r.i; -laturt' in perchaace tbereof, even ten tl would iiot becomO operativo In (my ioiiir.y which did not want it ; for by thte amendmeni Ltsell it is cxreeely pptfvUed thiat "The county yetem shuil beoome operativo only n mu h couatles as shaii adopt it ly i ïnajoi-ity voi e of the eJectors ol said ((miity. the said questton itis lieen .submittcil to tfiem by a twothüTds vote oí Ui the members eleci f tie board of roperrtBOM ol sir.-li ■ounty at a general or special eleetion called for that piirpose. Every elector in tüio state should vote, for tWe amendment. It is well known t'hlat the re are some oounties 'm the state where the present highway system does not afford all that the business jmterests require. In those countJee, for several i'ionths Iti t!he yer, the roads aro practöcaHy impaasible for tih purpose of hauling oadts. Suc'h countjie need relief, and tlhe elECtors of tJie state should be williiiíí 1o give it to tSiem. There nre countiiee wüieve no such relief Is nee ed. Under tiie amendment as now pToposed ach oounty determines íor itself whether it wlll .'Klopt this eoun:.y system or not; couirties not dewfriniff it nel not hw it ; it wlll only be opera táive in tlioso oounties, whieh n tJie future, sec fit to a dopt it. 16 question must l propoeetl by a twohiiirdis vote of tt board of supervisors nnd then be aíiopted by a majority ■-ote of t'lie electora of the eounty. Thi is the principie oí local option, ettioig each eoiraty of the etate dctermine for itselt wbat it neo.ds and wbat it will do.