Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1872-01-19
From the SPECTATOR
Township Taxation.

Mr.. Editor One Of the Township off
GERS has called tho writer's attention to an
evil which he says is growing one in town.
ship administration. IT'S the increasirg ap.
plication to Judge Hendren for new roads
and changes of roads. In one Of the Town
ships, North River perhaps, he said there
were twelve or fourteen now pending, be-
sides several lately acted on, in which orders
were made to open the reads. Few even
amongst the most intelligent, dream of the
very heavy amount Of taxation involved in
single case of this sort, every cent Of which
IS to be borne by the several Townships
Besides the regular tax each landowner
pays to keep the public roads in repair, he
pays what is called spcca! tax to defray
all the expenses incident to these applica-
tons tor new ones and involved in this az.
gregate is the cost of jdries, sheriff's fees for
summoning them, damages allowed land
holders, and last but not least, so cents per
day to hands to oFen them.
Depict two OF ,hree of these cases that have
been brnu hit to the attention of the writer
The road from Mowry's Mill, thro' the
lands Of Fshburne and others into the Nc.
Adam roai near Cline's Mill, unimportant
aud unnecessary 'ac1o, when we are so crush
ed with taxation, only three miles in length.
and every one interested in it, now we'll ac-
commodated with road via D. Fultz' to
Stauntou. On this trifing road we are tag.
ed with five Or six juries, $75 to 800 dam.
ages, besides other expenses incident to sur
veying, &c. Another in the same vicinity
that we could have done without for years,
is the Landes' Mill road Of one and-three-
fourths or two miles, that will cost the Town
ship, say 5000 per mile Another and
more striking case is one that originated, as
public opinion believes, in bad blood and
luminosity between few neighbors. some of
them near relations, and could for years
have been dispensed with There have been
several juries on it and if the writer is cor
rectly informed, at late term, Judge Hen
dren made an order requiring all the roads
in that vicinity to be surveyed and an elab-
crate report made to the next term. involv-
ing very heavy and entirely useless ex-,
pense. Why do | say so? Because there
is most carefully prepared map made by
j. Hotchkiss at the instance and expense of
F. D. Dellinger. fled among the papers in
lis (D's.) application for the Dellinger
bridge that the Judge has seen several times
This map so prepared as to shew the bear
ing Of all the roads in the Northwest end of
the county should have been used not only
in this Orebaugh and Ira 2. Huffman road
case, but in the application now pending for
bridge over Middle River, and saved all
this worse than useless expense in surveys
Of roads. But I repeat. Judge Hcndren
ought to scan all applications of this SORT
most rigidly. and set his face as flint
against them. The bar could do much to
discourage this heavy drain on our pockets
Will you, Mr.. Editor, take the pains to
examine the Clerks Office and get all the
items of cost in these cases and others in
other parts of the county q loathe the word
Township fron the very bottom of my hearD
and instruct the people up to frowning down
all applications for new roads, for any cause
whatever, until we, can see, some daylight
ahead. Please ask the Nndicator and YER
gilman to copy this.
al I'M WIG