The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1869-12-25
For the Union
Our Road Lac.

Having decided to let taxation for roads be
general, and the management and distribution
of the funds be local. we suggest that the impo-
siion of tax enough to keep the roads in good
condition for substantial purposes without con-
suting the requirements of fancy driving-lux-
ury in roads-and the distribution of this tax
equally over the county, according to the needs
measured by their standard, would meet the aP
prevail OF all fair and liberal minded men with
the further privilege Of any district or locality to
impose an additional tax upon itseiffor road pur-
poses. Then the roads for the purpose OF trade,
heavy hauling and marketing, would be kept IN
repair by county taxation while fancy or ma
cadamized roads would be kept in order by To-
Cal tax paid by those who use them most for that
purpose, and added to the appropriation from
the general tax.
A provision to allow each freeholder the priv
ilege of working out one-fourth or one-half of
his genera! tax upon the road binding on his
farm, would meet with much favor in many
parts of the county, and would result in the i'm
provement of the roads wherever acquiesced in
The individual complying with tt1s provision
could do more work to the road Her - given
amount If money than any one else, and would
feel an interest and take pride in doing it.
These are the general features of what we think
the law should be to control the road manage
ment of our county. What its minutae should
be can be easily regulated if you can once get
the people to agree upon the leading provisions
OF the system. IN +f
The present law makes such a shabby provi-
sion for The creation of new roads that one can
see at ellnce the embarrassing circumstances
in which the local board find themselves when
attempting TO execute this portion CT the law
"Any person may make application by petition
to the local board, &C., for opening new road,
&C., and the said local board may Determine
81 a.
and shall proceed to assess the expense thereof
upon the parties interested, and the districts res
pectivelv in such proportion as they may deem
just and proper" says the law. .
This puts the matter of new roads entirely in
the discretion Of the individuals constituting the
local board, acithou giving the parties oyer Uhose
land Tie nev road may pass, any uoice IN the af-
fair no provision lin this case) chateUer is made
for an appeal to any higher tribunal Weare I'M
willing TO believe that this could have been the
intention OF the trainers of the law or OF the leg
islature that passed it, 1t is left entirely discre-
tionary with the local board This asnrives the
party Of his right to a trial byejuryi and this is
all the provision that is made for that object -
The law does not require the board 10 advertise
that they propose making such new road-it
does not require them to notify the property
owners Of the fact and ask them to attend and
make their objection-it prescrbes no mode of
amendment, or the passage of an entirely new
law
Another bunder made in the law is compel
ling the treasurer and collector Of the board to
give bond to the district. There is no such body
corporate known to our laws as a district If
the treasurer and collector should make default
in payment of the taxes collected, or should be
prove unfaithfu in his trust in that matter, the
district could not sue, because there is no such
corporate body-it exists only in geographical
locality-it has no being in legal contemplation
1t is to be hoped, in view of these discrepin-
cies, and the hardships and dissatisfaction at
tending the execution of the present law, that
our legislature will either repeal ii and pass
new one or make such amendments I'd, and al
terations OF it as experience has shown necessary,
and good policy and fair dealing dictate. 1t is
not to he expected that law could be framed |
that would give satisfaction to all or that would
contain Just Exactly aehat is required, hence the
necessity now upon us. Law is thing of
growth. 1t is the creature of necessity and cir
cumstances The necessity of the hour is good
roads, made so by the operation of AZ law that
consults the Wishes and meets the appreciation
of the people Anything short Of this will fail
to accomplish the desired end Any law will
operate tndly that does not have the approval of
the people An Indifferent law that does this
will accomplish much that the best law without
it could not do.