Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1870-06-02

50. he les@ necessity mnss yieId . G.
sYeate-- its better, On snch oeoas;cu6
that the 81 drivers should i.povef - n
fsv DAYS q year ar tvo weald Z -
Casnsv M great injary) than - tlon<nn-
ter - Ioe. tho season OF the hnn7E 1 I1nSe
che harvest field or the thrsshing 1sor-
Besides thip. the sick and infrn, - weIl
ss their phvssrians and astend1nxs. nnnk
be ex.epted. and the Sabbath q VA =
other church fasts and festivals moss ~.
respected II follows therefore that -
ssrucsions to :favel are unayoidSkh =
times for few days. even undes ; -
sonable compulsory Law.
Let Us see next chat means ~ t1po
to keep the travelling thcroughfares 4 Or
der rs the law nor stands.
Have yop the power 10 olEsr unliniesd
pecrnisrv Inducements to supervisors and
laborers 7 You can enlarge the pay e.
these men only at the risk Of losing year
seats in the Court. The taxpayers spske
Enthusiastically and emphaiically on this
point at the last election,
But let Us disregard this. and make
duty the first and only considerations
Let US estimate a. well ~ We can what
sum will be sufficient to induoe supervi-
sors to accept, and the people % labor
promptly.
The number Of supervisors win depead
upon the length Of the road assigned -
each, and shis must depend again $40
the nature Of the service ysu szpee< "!
them.
The supervisor most see personally all
of the road under his charge once week,
and Immediately sitter every strong wind
and heavy rain fall besides. taking espe-
cial note near the places of public resort.
for there It is that the fast drivers spur
up to their fastest tros. He mus. then
estimate the number Of hands necessary
to make instant repairs-employ them II
he can, and complete the work before the
Jehus start ont on the drive.
But tc relieve themselves of all respon-
sibilitv the Commissioners must put the
supervisors or contractors under bond
aud must therefore appoint such men only
as are able TO give one and to be respon-
sitle for neglect of duty.
The next consideration is how macy
miles Of roai should be assigned to each
supervisor, aud what pecuniary consider
alton would be sufficient to induce a re-
sponsible citis.n to undertake the duty!
suppose that miles in some sections,
and 10 miles in others, or 8 miles upon
an average is as much as any one man
can attend to promptly without neglect
ing his regular business. and that with
out the power to compel the labor, no
one would accept Of the supervisorship for
less than 800.
BY this estimate we have more than 40
supervisors at an annual cost to the Coun-
~ of more than 81 900. independently oil
the cost of the labor, all of which together
with the repairing Of bridges, log Trains
and polling. will amount likely to $40 00O
"A sum which I am confident the tax.
payers will be unwilling TO pay.
In this justification of our unwilling
1ess to submit to heavy taxation for road
repairs. let me remind you that woed an
timber haulers have the greatest benefit
from our common roads, while ver7 few
Of them are on the tax list, and these few,
for small amount only, or in other words.
that you compel one class of laborcrs q
furnish accnmnsd.sioas Afos anuthes =
This is an objectionable oversight in pas,
legislation. Every wood and timber wa.
ION should be taxed per ton and per mile
for the use Of the public roads, as the
drays. hacks. &C., are taxed Cor the use
Of the city streets.
Permit me further to remind you tina,
the injuries sustained by the traveller,
over our roads are confined almost excln.
sivcly to the fast drivers. The steady and
cautio.s rarely sustain either damage OF
delay. My own cart was once upset, re.
lievihg itself of HID of Tobacco-aud
on another occasion it was stalled in the
mud with load of sacks of Guano, bu,
10 both cases we reached cur destination
without damage. aud in good time. In
the expectation OF bad roads, we provid,
ourselves with axes and pioneer ahead
to cut turnouts if necessary, in preference
to making a demand for damages upon q
people who are already taxed almost be.
you'd endurance.
1t is often asked why we of st. Mary's
county cannot have good roads. As vel
rs the people Of some other sections of the
state. For the same reason, l answe
that few settlers in the wilderness are
denied such accommodations. The traf-
fic and travel OF the settlement will no,
justify il.
Were there but one landing nearer to
Brandywine, and the country below, than
St. Mary's or Milestone. 1t is more than
likely that good Macadamizei or Turn
pike road would long since have been made
for that point because in that event, all the
exported predictions of the peninsula
would be taken to that landing and the
difference Of labor in the transportation
would justify the making of the road and
keeping it repaired. But who, even if
such road we're nov built, would send
his loaded wagon 40, 80 or even 20 miles
under any reasonable tariff of tolls. over
the best road in the country. when in
one or two hours, he can reach a laudipg
equsl:y as good, over the common roads
OF the county; aud who would ever se-
riously think Of making such road when
the tolls collected from the travel upon it
would not probably pay for the necessary
repairs? 4
Good roads. it is granted, are = great
reorganization, and great saving OF Ia