The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1870-01-01
'Ms e Getil Myhig
ELKTON, JANUARY L, 1870.
County ROads.-NO. III.

that defect might be remsdied by the next
Legislature. The plan proposed would in
volvo considerable sum of money, but
nothing like what it would seem at first
thought. The first cost would be the prin-
cipal one for it is fair to presume that
proper materials would be used for the
building of the roads. Gravel can be OBJ
tanned in almost all parts of tho county,
sufficiently near to the roads for USE This
material would be particularly desirable in
the level and clayey districts.
But to raise the necessary funds for such
an enterprise as rebuilding the roads
throughout the entire county is one Of the
most important considerations and this
We believe could be done without materially
increasing the present rate of taxation
A large sum would have to be raised the
first two years for it should not take moro
than two years to complete such a work
throughout the whole county.
In order to provide the necessary means,
the County Commissioners would have to
DO empowered to issue county bonds to run
twenty years or longer, bearing such rate
of interest as would guarantee them sale.
To provide for the payment Of these bonds,
a levy should be authorized, to pay off a
certain per centage of them yearly, after a
fixed time from their date of issuo-say
three or four years. If the financial part
of this plan was properly managed, the
property holders of the county might be
induced to take a large, or perhaps the
from this quarter would give capitalists
confidence in the loan, and it could be
readily disposed of. A light special tax
might also be assessed on parties engaged
in business, requiring great deal Of driv-
ing or hauling. To be insured q good,
firm, dry road, any teamster would will
lingly pay light bonus.
The average cost per mile of thoroughly
constructed roads throughout the county,
we have not sufficient data to even approx
innate; nor can we even conjecture the
number of miles of necessary roads there
is or aught to be, in the county. There
are two things which it is all important
that the County Commissioners should
by the mode suggested, or some similar
plan. The cost Of such work would bear
no analogy to the cost of the present sys-
TEN. BY it there is not one in ten eompe-
tent hands employed by our supervisors
1t is impossible to procure such hands from
farms and such other places as the force
for mending roads is obtained. They are
not accustomed to WELD the shovel and
pick as their daily occupation, and the
three-fourths of the hands now employed
to work on the roads, would be rejected by
contractor, whose business was to do
such work. Besides having competent
men, the contractor, who was placed under
bonds to do the work according to we'll
digested plan, would have proper tools and
teams, and keep his forces well in hand
feeding and lodging them near the work.
He would choose the most advantageous
seasons for work, and push the business
with gangs directed by competent ''bosses. =
Thus, the same amount of force. under
competent officers, would accomplish at
least four times the amount of work in the
same space of time, that is performed by
our political supervisors. In addition to
this, the work would be ,judiciously done,
and therefore permanent. With proper
skill and system, we can readily see that
the cost, in proportion to the amount of
useful work performed, would be far less,
by the plan we have sketched ont. than the
mode now in nse.
But let us attempt to approximate the
cost of such 4 system Of roads for this
county though without the necessary data
it is impossible to attain accuracy, but we
will suppose that there are 500 miles of
roads in the county. We think this is
above the actual length of-at least neces-
sary-roads; but taking 500 miles at cost
of $500 to the mile we have 100000 as
the first cost of putting the roads in COM
plete order. We do not know that it would
cost so much. or perhaps the cost would be
more. But take these figures DIS a basis,
and we have less than half Il million dol
lars to provide for the first outlay. The
interest on that sum at six per cent, would
be $24, 900 per annum. Our yearly tax for
roads and bridges has recently reached very
nearly $4,000. Now, every man knows,
or at least believes, that less than half that
sum expended by competent road officers,
under bond for the performance of their
duty would keep in excellent order, roads
that had been well and substantially made,
leaving surplus now wasted-aye, worse
than wastcd-to meet interest on the first
cost of putting the roads in first-rate order.
Thus, by using little commonsense in the
direction Of road affairs, we may have the
very best roads in the county, without in
creasing our taxes for that purpose, and
which would be likely to diminish as the
lands and towns improve in population and
in wealth. At the present rate of progress
in our road affairs, the sum which they
will swallow up, i'll a few years hence, in
filling the gullies and bridging quick sands,
will greatly exceed $4,000 per annum.-
An examination of our county statistics
will defy amy other conclusion than this
What had we better do under the circum-
stances9 stumble on, with our road taxes
increasing, and roads growing yearly worse,
or pause and originate a thorough reform g.?
Something will have to be done to reform
this increasing evil of bad roads, OF
wagons will have to be abandoned while
we fall back to pack horses and mules. A
few yeaas more of such road making as we
have at present, will bring us again to this
primitive mode, in use here, when poor
Lo:' was about, or which was the favor
tic mode of conveyance in Europe in the
Middle Ages.
Let it Come.
Our old friend Vanderford thus moralizes
on the :" coming events in the last issue
of the Westminster Adyocate Being one
of the genuine old school Democrats. he
no doubt reflects the thoughts and feelings