The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1868-02-22

Cuhmanicafff.
BLAck ROCK, BaltimvFc County,
February n. laae

VI thc itOad COMMITTEE. FOR = month after
our Road Convention had adjourned remain.
cd at our County Seat, the better 70 Dc able 70
consult public rceords aud public sentiment;
and frequent incetings were had By us al NO
small cost Of tune aud Inconvenience. NJ com.
! mitiec charged with thanklcss, though i'm.
poriant, duty ever labored with more absolute
self abncgation and conscient iousncss than did
the Road Committee during that month. AZ.
Ter the elaborate discusaion Of the subject In
the public press, then In \ mas meeting aud
lastly IN County Convention, where express
instructions were issued by q solemn voio Of
delegates representing all classes Of the people
aud all Interests, was u not natural aud was Il
not equally rational 70 anticipate that q bill
thus produced would pass promptly into an
enacted law, aud command the generous aud
unanimous support Of the people, if not NJ a
perfect act ut least ~ q good beginning Ia a
good work, subject 70 amendments and i'm
provements by the light Of future experience.
That the proposed Bill does really com.
lnand the earnest support aud approval Of
hree-inurths Of our people 10 abundantly man
ilested by their unreslrained verbal expires.
sions and in letters addressed me froni all
sections. but amongst them regret 10 dnd u
few who please 10 take exceptions ~ u. some
on account Of one section and others against
another. IL would afford me great pleasure 60
discuss calmly and deliberately every inquiry
aud every objection u time were allowcd-even
though were not thus 10 be able never 20 see
too FAR advanced 20 admit of this. IL We mean
this year to take single step IN the right ~
rection. II u not probable nor practicable Ia
enter anew into an unlimited discussion at this
matter nor would Il be profitable 10 do 50. The
future will unfold 90 Us lights not now before
~ and by them We can profit. But ta answer
and explain some Of the sincere criticisms
evoked by the publication of the proposed law,
TOR the last time essay ~ ask a space in your
columns gu this subject.
The first aud most serious objection ta the
proposed law was against that section which
required two days labor upon public roads or
an equivalen. IN money from every person
over eighteen years 81 age. Whilst the com.
mittee unanimously agreed to every other see.
ton af the bill, upon this clause there was
division of sentiment I waa unable in com
Inittee Ia yield my own assent 81 this feature
for two reasons. First, In the matter of con
structioh and repairs Of roads felt conscicn
tiOus scruples a. 10 the right Of In king the me.
| chanies aud artiEans and day lahorcrs whose
productive tolls constitute the real wealth Of
the country Tor the support OF public roads
which they never use perhaps but on foot, aud
secondly felt that such coereed contributions
of labor moSsey would furnish but q poor re-.
course upon which In found n new system 81
operations. IL could have reconcilci that
Provi ion with my sense Of abstract propriety
] still should have doubted its utility. other.
shared those views and that section was there.
fore not adopted by Us as part Of our Bill
II was submitted To our representatives as an
crfra proposition. As soon, however, as il was
found that in our delegation. rs in our commit.
tee. ther" was a diversity of sentiment on this
point. rather than hazard the success ol the
bill and throw US back again into the ghastly
past, by authority Of a majority Of the com.
mittee ] directed that section tO be omitted
thus relieving our members from the response.
bility by the assumption ~ u ourselves. With
that feature stricken out the committee aud our
Al
II they ar us are TO be disappointed, the fault
will res, where Il properly belongs and the
people must pass upon the issue ~ becomes
their Judgment.
One of the most enlightened aud gi fled minds
81 our county for whose judgment have an
exalted respect, ia n sensible article in last
weeks journal" objects 10 the bill because il
proposes "to effect great ends by too small
means. ia other words cOnteniing that the
Insignificant increase OF taxes we propose il ia
adequat" to accomplish the object in view
This confess was one Of the mos, potent dill
calties which occurred To the minds OF the
committee ia our deliberations. but we did not
propose by an increase OF our road taxes from
sir O. Tea cents 10 accomplish Immediately all
that is desired. In the frat place, as We sta
ted, W. did not feel that our taxable property
could at this time well bear the innictan Of
the necessary burden at Oacc 10 place aH our
public roais-some Of which ought never To
have been such-in thorough condition Of re
pair. hut promising safely as we did that
though the shocking consequences of our pres
ent miserable system fully oae haLf Of our pres.
ent roads fund was practically wasted, an in
crease from Air ~ tss cents on the hundred dol
lars judiciously expended, without waste, at
first upon the principal aud most important
highways. and afterwards upon the others,
would irom the beginning be sufficient We
now expcnd $4,000 In round numbers on $500
miles less Of roads nj the rate Of siO per mile
m With an fsu nj
fund to SO. 600, and the disbursement Of this
sum under complete system intelligently al
minisiered feel no hesitation ia reporting the
assertion that Eve could ut an early day
achieve our purposes" ! grant freely IL cir
cumstances would permit the opposite policy
II would be wisest aud far the most desirable
but had the committee ventured upon that
plan all our efforts would probably have PROV
ed abartive.
have now only Ia turn To the fret letter on
my table 20 read that our bill il excellent ia
all respects" except that at calls for far too
ton Of superhuous means" and a moments re-
Election upon the two propositions forces 10 my
mind the conclusions Of the committee of the
town of Killarney Or some other Irish town. nj
which they resolved. First THAT Il was esscn
tial aud expedient N build 4 New Jail. &.
cond. That the New Jail should be built ofthe
same materials then in the Old Jail" Third.
"Thc Old Jail should not be torn down until the
New Jail was erectedg We are all agreed.
and upon the subject capable Of becoming very
enthusiastic. that we want aud must have bet
ter public roads. and that our present system
is disgrace and under Il we cSnno, get what
we want. Now shall we because the peculiar
idiOsyncrncies Of every man IN the county
cannot be satisfied in one simple act Of Assem-
bly, plod On our weary way In mud aud mire !.
not be well now. since all admit we must
not 60 backward. and forward can do no
worses
The next paint t. which I deem u reply re-
quisit- IL that Of the creation of the Ollie oi
Road Commissioner. This feature of the bill
provokss, Perhaps. more objection 81 first sight
than any other; notwithstanding In the
Judgment ofthe committee. and especially e.
myself u u the keystone 10 any piece 81 val.
liable rnad architecture. None but insane per.
aons would attempt 10 operate system with
out competent head. Throughout all hn
man aud arcenial creations this essential IL re-
cogniyed. Instead of the costly aud inefficient
plan Of Board Of Road COMMITS si"nsrs we
deemed u best to provide Tor y single Road
Commissioner for the county.
Ia " absolutely ridiculous to contsm plate the
possibility df the County Commissioners 81.
perinten ding the details of "a public road aye.
ten. Without u, they have FAR more duties
than they eau property discharge. meeting ON.
ly monthly a. they do aud serving al rate of
compensation entirely inadequate N their Ia
bors. ~ We remarked In our report, IN the
matters of bridges alone the Road Commission
or ". uld save 10 the county more than his sal
AIRY. Bat apart from this the amount provided
for the pay 81 the Road Commissioner does not
exceed that paid 10 the supervisors Of districts
now engaged simpiy in distalsi1g oaF rad
funds :" Drpnty e,spsFvisoss. Under our pres
ent systen We pay 10 the district supervisors
son,s ~. tsn.ee foF which no adequate felarn Il
made IN services. This sum wsaiId pay The
salary IL roinpetent Commissioner whose "a.
Tire time would be given in practical dutitH
for the public interest. This feature e the
proposed bill u 81 entirely sound ~ any prac
ica. mind that am com PEELED toconfess IL dis.
cussion l. unreasonable. To "whistle jigs u a
milestone would be a. sensible an employ
meni ~ Ia solemnly discuss this proposition
with "nr who had resolved no: o. see ~ utilli.
~. To such ala Que the only contracting argu.
nent would be the tender ~ The position ~
Road Commissioner ~ srs hoWsaad gar,
when ul,on the instant he would pronounce Il
the wisest feature ~ our bill. Under our pres.
cut system we pay ~ district Supervisors ~
stated ia round numbers per annuin, t2.soa.e0
To 5So deputies si.s0 per day. II
A. - q A.