The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1868-01-04
The Rnnd Question.


lat" Mass Meeting had met in Baltimore. aud
adopted the very course named by US, that is.
recommending the citizens Of the county To as
srinblc IN district meetings to-day Saturday
and elect i've delegates from each district 10
l"rm a County Convention, 10 meet in Towson-
town on Tuesday next. This, in our view Of
the ease. Is step in tho right direction, and
should be cordially seconded by the people Of
the county. mass meeting can do nothing
towards improving our road SYSTEM a Conven.
ton can and should do much. Let there be n
strong TURMOIL at the district meetings to-day (:
let mon DO sent N the Convention who really
feel the need Of an alteration In our road sys.
tenn, and who will yield their own Individual
preferences for the public good lot politicians
those who have "axes to grind" be allowed
IL remain at home this once. and the Conven-
iion will bc success.
The people OF the county seem widely divi.
dcl IN sentiment upon the proper system by
which our public roads should be attended
"n" portion advocating n county system, tho
other district system. Al the late meeting,
tour plans were subrnitted--two fayoring n
county. and two the district system. These
plans wcr" all published Last week, and the
l'c"Pl" can see lor themselves their merits aud
dcmrriis.
III" paper which commanded the largest
-hnrc 81 attention at the meeting was tho 70.
port al the Committee appointed n, the Ash.
land meeting. That Committee was roilJ posed
"i til" following gentlemen. viz; WIN. Webster,
In. Moses Mcrryman. Win. II. Hoffman. Thos.
Lowe. Levi X. Bowen. J. =. Benson. and Thos.
II. Matthews II was asccrtaincl. soon aftar
its appointment, that the Committee was al.
~. M"-srs. Webster. Love Matthew. and
M"rrymau f,v"ring a district system; Mcssrs.
Bowen. B"n-"n and Hoffman opposing IL. The
i"l"ii read was. "i c"urs". majority report.
but barely 81. rs thr~" oi the seven gentlemen
composing the coinniiti"" opposed il. The re-.
l"'ti WA evidently prepared with great care,
aud reflects great credit upon Mr.. Webster,
wi''." work. We understand. IL mainly is
From his stand paint. no better Argument could
%" made" hc brings c''gent aud powerful ar.
tuin"h' I" sustain his position and ~ cursory
reading 81 ia" report would scarcely tail ." con.
vince amy one that his plan was the bo.t that
c'uid br adopted still. We think lao takes u
wrong tart. that he commences with wrong
'i"~S-- and. although we believe lac intends 10
Il" ''gf. il his plan was adopted. ia all its lie.
tails. great evil. instead 81 e.-,l. would result
ir"ln Il.
Their" - not dtsicici road IN Baltimore coun.
y; all mr." county roads, intended for the use
and accommodation of all alike. The citizens
81 the Fifth District may. without considering
themselves Intrudcrs, Use uur roads we Of the
Nm'h District may travel the roads Of the Finh
District without let ~ hindrance. We do not
belle that the object OF this movement IL 10
improve the roads IN one section of the county,
Will" others are I" remain almost impAssable
barriers I" travel aud a terror h all having ~
Use them; We think the intention l. that
there shall b. gsSodi issgrorasAt of our
roads. extending IL thcsh alicr districts rs well
~ the larger. This can never be- done under
MI. Wchster's plan. or under any other where
each district - left To- itself; ia plain words,
som" districts IN our county cannot build them.
rrly"' good roads without II, great "a drain, in
ih" shape Of tax. upon their people. For in
stance, take til" Ninth aud fifth Districts
We doubt very much whether there arc more
miles q public rad in the Ninth than ia the
Filth. and ifth-re 10, the difference j. over.
cOine by the fact that We have many miles Of
public roasl that are sustained entirely by pri.
waite enterprise and On which our Supervisor 10
never called g. eNpcnd dollar. We have q
taxable basis OF sy.Oee .eeo. aud ON this ba.
SIS It would be an easy matter 10 collect enough
Of money tn Keep our roads "a excellent order,
bu, how would the FiRh FAR. The taxable be.
Il. there is but $500 .ooo. oas isan sAat o.Ts Is.
and on this basis how can the people Of that
district maintain their roads Ia any Thing like
proper order The roads ID the Fifth District
are just a. much pur property ~ our own rosds
~ have the same right u travel them. aud
reason aud right seem H. indicate that We
should aid ia their improvement.
The Committee. IN their report. use this ar
gumcut.
1T mus, not be- forgotten that the remote dis,
tricts obtain the full benefit Of the ga-,l ruads
81 in"T. wealthy districts lying between them
and the common market. and the county scat
u may be- objected that the remote or outlying
districts. with their snail taxable basis. would
b" unable h. make a. good roads - their more
wealthy and Iopulous neighhors but when u
y c"nsid~rel that every nlile u foAd Travelled,
between said reuiotc % extreme districts and
the market. has greater sssaF and fear--ahd
consequent greater repair, VA eEact PROPORTION
I
~ b. le provided for IL usefulness must 10 In
the same rata"
How nAny miles 1T Ninth District s.Jhc
roads io the citizens Of the FihL % Sixth OF
seventh districts sss IN taking their IEodues
To- a c"'"'non market They al pass through
il. and IN daing -. how much Do they ''weAr
" arl tsar" uur public rvA.ls Not q particle
Ia going b, market they DO not travel over q
i.', 81 i'"eic Rad IN the Ninth District. and
all ~" "wear aud tear" is b. the tseay.ts. sn
which they pay TIL. and heavy I'LL =, that
The Sin'h District has the IIarfofd tutapiks
on ode s'ie "fii. the Fall. tuFRpke On tl,s 9th.
81. sud ihe YORK turnpike an.l charles 81, ave
49," ~ 10" '"htr'. Al aas eaunty rssads lead
o. the" ''n'non avenues. aud Ill the travel On
"ur public r'ads . H. theta. 20 that. IN tact. We
hss" but tuls travel 80 oar county r,Aas. In
~" Finh pi.'Fi"t, The pahlie roads must b.
n.'i "niirely. There % ~ turnpike IN Il.
aud e. ritis'ns nHsi drag thrsnsh a. Had
Reads th~ whole ishgth 81 the district. until
they r'a"h iaTHpite AL The large. ~.slihy
nhd i-'rul"us distrirts afsaa.d H4lliassafu are
.iiiiiarly situaicd Sdh tLs Ninth ~ have
inrhI'ike' funniug thr,,arh thsH,. sud the
wear aud tear - ~ their E..ssls - mach lirht
~. ""uasqucntiy. ihsn that II a.. sat lyinE
disif'et'' shsse I-apl" ssast d-I.ssd apan
'a's'irsais ~niirsly. u sak ing sars.ls-s E,-s.l
read. 'l''wH here. ~ arr .i..ins - ne aar ewu
nee.n'h''alaiiou. eeFtaiHly ~, &c u. LsAsal
II ths l-''pis q the FinL Diss,s,. .. he'll b
the '''i'i",ii-s. w~''sa1i H'ss the, the I.ss. ~
the NiHih District use ihr Finh District rs-d.
9" q 80 rissssF extent than ~ l.s"I.ls - ne
laii.r district b. sufs.
W -siif.iy -Ers. 9Th AZ Webster that say
n"~ -y.,"n 81 ap slaaid rsssiis 80 The
,iss'aes II district saIsVvisafs. and isr mere
Than me suI-'rvis''f 10 sash dislTist - havs
ns oiJsetion 10 Gss. - nsuas.i 10 IN rsI-s't.-
The l.ssJ.fs shanid have sutiFs eunirsl ~ ths
a - A "a