The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1866-02-10
.,aeF ad a4if44 From the Baltimore Sun
The Public Roads of the State.

81 The suggestions contained in the letter of our
correspondent 81 Hartford, - of the necessity for
some legislation in regard to the county roads of
the State, are valuable and. timely. There is
scarcely anything which retards the development
Of theagricultural resources and keeps down the
prices of lands below their proper value, SO much
as the execrable system of roads throughout the
State Our correspondent gives one instance of
the loss OF the sale of an intrinsically valuable
property on.account of the condition of the roads
near it, Instead of one, hundreds of the like
cases might be furnished. But still more striking
illustration will be found in the relative standard
price of lands upon the Baltimore and Frederick
turnpike, and the York turnpike, as compared
with lands OF equal quality and the like distances
from the city of Baltimore, situate upon the va
rious country roads or even mile or two miles
distant on either side of these thoroughfares -
While on these two roads, anywhere within sew
EN- or eight miles of Baltimore lands sell for pri-
ces ranging from three hundred to FIVE hundred
dollars per acre, other and better lands will not
command more than seyenty-6ve to one hundred
dollars. Let the comparison be made in any part
OF the State, and it will invariably be found that
the lands near good roads will command from
twenty-five 10 one hundred per cent. more than
those which have not proper facilities of access.
The truth is, that oar road system needs radi
cal change No body takes any interest in the
county roads; their management is most sloyen-
iy, and atthe same time most expensive and the
distribution of the taxes which are levied for
their repair most unequally made by the County
Commissioners. Instead of the present mode.
the townships of the State which are to be new
" adjusted under the Constitution, by The Gem
eral Assembly, ought to be subdivided by the
County Commissioners into suitable road districts:
the law should require every able-bodied man 10
labor upon the public roads within his road dis
trict certain number of days in the year. saw
not less than three nor more than five DAVIS Il
should also fix standard of Communication of la
Dor tax from those who choose to avail of il AT
double the Standard price Of day laborers. 1t
should also provide for assessing specifically
road tax every year upon all the taxable proper-
ty of the State; and it should also allow that
tax to be paid in labor, at the standard price Of
labor, instead of being paid in money at the cleo
tone of the party chargeabIe The office of su-
Hpervser on the road, like that Of a Juror should
be compulsory and not salariel. Office and it
should not be imposed upon an individual longer
than one year. Under law having these gem
eral features, every citizen Of the State would
come to take an interest in the improvements of
the roads, Instead Of being left to the exclusive
careiof supervisors, who make It a lob OF profit
+ to themselves by hiring their own hands carts
and teams to the public, atspch odd times %
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