Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1868-05-21
THuNEw ROAD LAW.

clip from the St. Mary's Beacon of last
week. It should be read and carefully
considered by every citizen of our county
previous to voting upon the road question
It will be remembered that the law upon
which our neighbor of the Beacon so ably
comments, is identically the same as that
which we are called upon to adopt or re-
ject on the 9Th of June next. Let our
people make up their minds to try this
system, simply as an experiment, and il
found not to answer their expectations il
can be repealed at the next session Of the
Legislature. The present system Gf sys-
TEN it can be called) has been fully tried
and its results are to-day woefally appar-
ent. We doubt whether the coolest in
habitant" ever knew the roads to be in
worse condition at this season of the year
than they are on this 21st day Of May
And let the tax payers bear in mind that
the sum of SO, 900 and upwards has been
expended in the past year for the repair
and general improvement of the roads. =
And yet what good has this enormous out
lay accomplished 7 Let US answer
Some of the main thoroughfares of the
county are, to-day, ID some places, we'll
nigh impossible. A road system, like
every other business. to be properly man
aged should have responsible head
The system under discussion proposes to
supply this desideratum in the person Of
a competent Engineer, who, apart from
his general interest in the good condition
of the roads, as a citizen Of the county,
will have the more direct and powerful
stimulus of proper compensation for the
efficient discharge of his duty. In order
to retain his position he must show him
self faithful officer, else he will necessa-
rily lose bis position. It will thus be
seen that nothing is wanting in the pro-
posed law to bring into full and efficient
operation all the mac hinery which, upon
the careful consideration of some of our
best and worthiest citizens, has been de-
vised as necessary means for securing good
roads The article below SO fully ex-
presses our views that we cannot do better
than to again call the earnest attention of
the people to it:
I'VE have examined with some care the
New Road Law, now being published in
our paper. dPon,sThich the voters of this
county will be Calls upon to pass sentence
on Saturday, the 9th Of June next, and
the judgment We have made up is, that it
is. not only greatly better than any road
law we have ever had before, but is in it.
self intrinsically good law and eminent
ly proper one to be adopted by our peo-
| pie. It must be admitted that the system
under which we have been living for many
years past has brought no adequate returns
for the cost expended. Indeed, we think
it rests on demonstration that it has
brought no returns at all. so far as the
permanent improvement of our roads is
concerned. The condition of our travel
in 1868 is not whit better than it was
twenty years ago. yet we have probably
expended since 1848 sum little short OF
$75, 900 on our roads Surely, there
must be something radically wrong about
system which has cost so much and
which has accomplished SO little. Gu,
yearly expenditure now upon the roads is
not much short of $4,000, and yet, We
are afraid, we have about the worst thor.
oughfares in the State. and it is certain
that for several months in every year very
many sections Of our roads is impossible,
and the travel is extremely heavy as well
as hazardous on nearly all. The present
is nothing better than patchwork sys.
tenn. It does but "skin and film the ul.
cerous places" in our roads without even
pretending to afford anything in the shape
of permanent relief. And this is one o.
the many distinctive merits of the New
Road System. The Engineer under this
system is required to commence and
prosecute system of permanent improve.
ment of the roads of the county, begin
ming first on the main thoroughfares lead.
ing to the county seat, and then on those
to the most public landings, properly rails.
ing, grading, ditching and thoroughly
draining the same" He appoints in eff.
feet, the supervisors of the different road
districts and they are responsible to, and
are removable by him for ''incapacity
misconduct or neglect of duty" Under
this arrangement, the Engineer is made
directly amenable to the County Commits.
sioners for the character and condition OIL
all public roads in the county. A neg.
lect of duty on the part of his subordi-
mates is made his neglect, and thus. in
addition to his own special duty of prose-
Ecuting system of permanent road i'm
provement. he is held accountable for any
neglect or dereliction of duty on the part
of the road district supervisors.
1.-THE yearly cost of the New Road Sys.
tenn to the county will depend very much
of course, upon the management of the
Engineer and the amount of permanent
Improvement he may annually put upon
1.-The roads. The law does not allow him
to expend in any one year for permanent
improvement more than $4,000, includ
ling his own salary. The County Com.
missioners regulate in fact, the amount he
lis to expend and may fix the yearly cost
IL