Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1821-12-28

our roads canno, equal the highways hci,.een m,
large commercial cities North ,n;; se vo,,es,
:" lar IN the good work of Internal ni,ifuv enieni u,
To hc able 10 turnpike the prime ipa roads throsy ;,
state :-Nordo we expect, when that period sia,l ar
| rive, 10 see every by-Ioad graduated nn, trnpNcJ
oui, IN the mean time, they Nigh, all, hl proper lc-
gi>il,ive Interference, he greatly improved.
| Our legislatures have been coniinunily rnaciinr
and amcnding laws for the regulation OF this bramc
OF oar internal police, w,hout ANY visible good re-
suhmg therelrom The failure of these laws go haze
me desired elect may lie traced To several c,spS
In me hist place, the meuibrrs of the inquest assem-
oled iour times ayear in each county, ciher l,um :.
m'scons'ructon oil the law, total disregard OF
ticir duty seem only consider themselves h,rud Il,
| take notice of ;lc roads which they find nuassgblr
1.-The teis day on which they assemble al their rcspcc-
ave coh1 houses. In the second place I; the survey
ofS Knowing thus are willing that their roads should
/ ne iiiliSsIblc the whole yea rOunt provided they
can The very d, before the assemLlayc of the inquest
give them slight repairing, by dragging "a little lnosc
ant INTO the worst places, which is generally washed
out AGAIN by Tie first shower of rain. This process
believe, is known il Virginia, 10y The yer, appropri-
ate tenn g "A Grand Joiy brushing. How is it pos
s'be, that our roads should ever be kept in good
der, whilst this state of things exists
The legislature of 1917 gave 10 surveyors ofroatls
compensation ior llIer services aud in the session
oil iGl9 the penalty far failure Keep road in tho
rough repair, MAS raised 10 thirty dollars still rom,
the apathy OF our grand lures and indulgence OF our
courts, the roads continue bad as ever--As SIM
King instance oil the ienent conduct OF the latter to-
wards 'his class OF the community, it is only ncccs-
ry 10 STATE, that during twelve fifteen years resi-
uehce III my county, Zone, remarkable for bad roads J
Know, there never has been penalty inflicted on a
surveyor for neglect Gf dniy.
L he remedy would propose for this great evil, is,
'hat tue legislature should enact "A law appointing
one or more inspectors of roads in each county,
whose duty II shall he from time 10 time 10 examine
mo me stale ot the roads,yilhin certain limits laid
OH Tor thIl', and report to every grand jury impair
Deiied at the quarterly sessions for their county, the
rcai condition OF the roads in their respective dis
ucts during the three months previous thei, meet
my. iha' the jury upon their representation, of
neglect oil duty IN any surveyor, shall summon sucl,
witnesses the inspectors inform them, live near
and frequently travel the road SO neglected; which,
witnesses shall be called in by the jury to give evil
uchce' nat The inspectors should report to the
courts oil their counties nj The time, all cases,
W any should occur, where the roads could c turn
'd or removed from their former beds for the great
haciiiy oi travelling, OF convenience OF the pub
nc, and upon such representation the shall an
pohi commissioners TO view and report the ehpedi-
ency or incXpedienry of such attentions.
10 thus scheme, probably two objections may he
made first 1t would be asked in what way will Won
compensate these inspectors Tor their services =
secondly who would perform the duties of the Office
Tor SO small compensation! To attain the frs, oh
Jec, would take from the surveyors of the roads,
the compensation now allowed them by law which
would he an ample remuneration for the duties per-
Termed by the inspectors. For in the small cosntv
IN winch reside, there has been upwards of one
hundred dollars levied, for the purpose and had all
inc surveyors applied, IL would have amounted to
tonhe that sum. ThIs in the present state of things
IS tax we are subjected to- without the prospect OF
me I'M, least benefit resulting from the payment of
HE second IS slight objection. Let the Legislature
create The office, with the above mentioned salary at
lached 10 1t, and there will soon be found many per-
sons willing to perform the duties for we have seen
men o! respecmbiliy and intelligence, eager to obtain
| The Office oil commissioner Of the revenues when the
salary WAS little more than hundred dollars, and
the services to he performed ten times "a, ar,uous rs
those which would dovove on the officers here pro-
posed
IL is TO be hoped, that our legislature should moi
thinN proper,in ITS wisdom, adopt some more eff
| icct1nl measures for compelling the surveyors OF
roads to kespihem IN better repair, Iiia will, at
easi,repea so much OF the law gives compens.t-
ton to Them Tor Their services and not impose ON
HE good people Oi this commonwealth, Il heavy tax
from which, they can derive no benefit For surely
Us NeNat'ous IN the extreme, TO reflect, that in
like these, (wIiem economy should be The order OF
the day IN all matters that relate TO our civil policy
we should be called ON for heavy contribution, in
| iivor oil II set OF men, who are only nomimay, what
the law intends they should he effectively
Stafford county, Dec. d. 1921.