Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1848-04-26
FOR THE SPECTATOR.

Mr.. EpIroR,-I am pleased to see that the
Scotsville Road is exciting the attention its mpor
lance so well merits. Several articles have an
peared in the County papers that do ample justice
to the subject, and therefore render il unnecessary
that thing further should be said ON the general
question of its utility to the agricultural portion Of
our people; yet there remains untouched collate-
raj topic oil no less Importance, which propose
TO offer few suggestions, in the hope that the pub
lie may be induced TO consider it maturely aud be
prepared to act on 1t understandngy at the proper
time.
1t is to the condition Of our County Roads, and
the means OF their improvement that invite atten-
ton. Ii is well known that many of these high.
ways are Tor great part Of the year 50 much out
OF order, that even had we good Mechanical
Road from the centre Of the County to market. il
would be extremely difficult for the people of some
neighborhoods to reach it, Now this is an evil.
that ought by all means, to be removed five get
about IT In the proper manner it be DONE and at
comparatively no additional expense to the County
as shall now proceed to shew.
Your former correspondents have clearly shewn
that the cost TO the County S25 000) OF the Scots
VILE Road will be more than refunded in the short
une oy the Immense annual saving in the cos, of
transportation OF agricultural products to market,
so That all dividends the stock will be actually
a clear gain to the County II is not only proba-
BILE, but almost certain that the stock will Weld the
county clear income OF from to 6 per cent. or
from $1,000 to ST, 500 annually The law on
winch we are to vote next Thursday, provides that
ths dividend shall 60 to the lessenng of the land
tax of the County. This is right: as the freehold
ers are to bear the burthen ofrasng the stock thew
alone should be entitled to the profits of that stock
but alter the Road is made, the land tax will of
course return to about Its present amount without
any reduction on account of the dividends on this
STOCK. Nobody complains of the present land tax:
II Is moderate enough therefore propose that we
m md, b H., n
as possible. and when it is completed ask the ,e-
gslature to pass law authorizing majority of the
ireeholders-the owners of the stock-to saw at the
Foiis that the income from that stock shall be an
Piled for certain length of time, say ten wears. to
the Improvement of our County Roads.
IL may be proper hero to state that the impress
sion prevails in parts of the County that The
money raised by taxation for paving the ScotsyilIe
ROAD Is to be spent in Abenare. This impression
is erroneous, and is likely to do considerable injury.
hioemarle Is prepared TO make the Road TO the
Mountain and she does not ask one cent of the mo-
hey raised IN Augusta TO be spent beyond the line
we can IN this way. in the short space of ten
or fifteen years, build up system of County inter
nal improvements that will not only equal, but far
surpass any In Virginia and that too at a cost that
the County will never feel. Make such Road 10
ocottsvlle as is proposed, and you create an mex
haustbe source of wealth to the County. that NAV
De drawn upon in all time 10 come for the construc
'oh vi INV anu the Improvement OF existing works
OF the kind proposed, till Augusta will indeed he
known as the garden spot Of the State.
by keeping up the amount of labour at present
bestowed on our Roads. and in addition, expanding
Judicously the sum of 81 900 or ST 500 annually
Tor ten years there would be an amount of improve
ment to the County, and enhancement in the price
OF lands that cannot now be estimated
But the subject is one that must commend itself
TO the attention of every prudent and thinking man
and moreover is Of such nature that il cannot he
justly handled in the limited space of one newspa-
per article therefore leave it in the hone that some
able head will do it Justice
FREEBOOTER.
S.-By the way, notice slight mistake in
the article of ''MoRE THAN oNE' that appeared
last week. addressed to "the Farmers of .4upa.sta.
Inc writer says ''the farmers alone will be entitled
10, 10 ths dividends arising from the Investments
The law says the .f-seSoIders will be the beneficia
RES. Now as many JTeeholders are not farmers.
the foregoing statement might mslead some unless
corrected in time.