The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1870-03-18
I ROAD

~ 80 AZ ~ - C0N "a pO
sition on the question of Pike Roads,
which our CountY Commissioner have
submitted to the people for their de-
termination at the Io'ls on the first
Monday in April, We deem it our duty
to place before the people the position
of affairs, as we obtain them from the
Commissioners, and then let the sub
ject drop, and let the people work out
the problem to their own satisfaction,
without being influenced, pro or con,
by any editorial influence we might ex-
ePt.
In the furtherance of this duty de-
v~olving upon us, we have called upon
Joshua Davis, one of the Commissions
ers, and elected the following inform
alton from him
First-The Commissioners have de-
termined. in case the people decide in
favor of Pike Roads, not to run the
County in debt and, consequently,
that no more than the proceeds of four
mi Is on each dollar of taxable proper
ty in the County will be expended by
them in one year, for Pike Road pur-
poses.
Second-The Commissioners, having
corresponded with those who are and
have beer managing the construction
of Pike Roads in other counties of
Ohio, have become well satisfied that
the Pike Roads in contemplation of
being built in Morgan county, will not
cost, on an average, o than $4,000
to the mile.
Third-That the Commissioners con-
Template the most meagre expendi
ture of the Public Funds that the cir
cumstances will admit of, to-wit:
They do not intend to build more
than a ten foot, lin width, road on the
ridges, where, in good weather, a dirt
road will answer all purposes but,
however, they will make these roads
in swampy, low ground, about six
teen feet in width. Also, they say that
while it is the intention to make these
roads, in bad places, at least a foot
deep of stone in the center, and grad
uating towards the sides yet, where
the necessity of the case does not re-
ouire it, they viii use but very little
stone.
Fourth-That while they have not
yet determined on the policy of issuing
Bonds in expectation of the tax, that
they will make arrangements, by issu-
ing due-bills or some other method,
which will be receivable at the County
I. Treasury for Pike Road taxes, for those
parties, who desire to workout their
Pike Road tax, to do so.
We give the above matters to the
public as we get them, and while we
shall give the public all the reliable ir-
formation we can gain relative to these
matters, we refrain from all CON
ment.
After the above was put in type, in
looking over our exchanges, we discov-
cred the following item in the Pome
roy Crescent, which will, probably,
throw some light on the question of
the cost of building Pike Roads. We
are not acquainted with the character
of the country through which these
roads run nor do we know the char,
acter of the roads. We simply copy
the item as we find it
"The Portsmouth Republican pub
fishes an official statement of the cost
of the Scioto county Free Pixies, auth
enticated by the signatures of the
County Commissioners. The average
cost of the Portsmouth and Galena road
is but 1856 per mile; the average cost
Of the Portsmouth and Buena Vista
road is 81 ,S07 per mile; while the high
est do not reach $1,000 per mile. The
Scioto county people have demonstra-
ted the fact that free pixies CAN be built
cheaply, if they frequently are not"