Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1874-03-19

COUNTY RoAps.-To devise . ~
good system Of County Roads. would =
fer incstimable benefit. not only upon
riculture. but every interest and indui
of the State; but il involves probleu
6cult Of solution, and so far nko1n6se3
chiefly OF eontrariety Of opinion and leg
islatiou. However easy it may be to point
out its defects in past or existing road
laws. practical remedies are hard to find
Perhaps one of the chief chief difficulties
is to secure sufficient agreemen, rs to any
one plan to give it a fair trial. If the
suggestions here offered are unsatisfac,o-
ry. it can be safely said that the systems
heretofore adopted are not less so. What
ever may be its value. however. the opiu.
ion of your mcmorialis,s is that road ma
king is exclusively a question of civil en-
gineering, aud as such clearly beyond the
capacity and province Of unscientifc farm.
ers to whom it is now entrusted
The present system of making and
mend,ng roads directly violates every
principle of science. aud the money ex-
pended is therefore almost total loss -
True economy, in this connection. is found
in good. substantial roads only. and these
can be constructed by engineers only
Your memoriaiists respectfully recon-
mend that county roads be put in charge
of competent engineers. and ,ha, to secure
such. liberal salaries be paid. and salts
factory evidence of capacity required. tha,
fidelity to duty be secured by bond an!
careful regulations. and tha, the rrcscn,
inefficient and was,sful system Of Road
Supervisors be abolished. Que impor.
,ant engineering duty might be found in
revision. under direction of the Com
missioners o. the several counties. or of a
State Board. Of the location of public
reads. so that they shall be in conformity
with public needs. Many roads now paid
for out Of the public purse. are justly pri-
va,e roads. Many other roads are con-
veniently located. aud by sligh. aud in
expensive changes which would at once
suggest themselves to a competent engi-
ncer. can be vastly improved. Your me-
morialis's further suggest that the pres
cnt system Of repairs of roads is radically
defective. Under this system. while the
aggregate expenditure is enormous, the
roads are often impossible, and never
really improve. as annual repairs never 90
beyond restoration to former condition,
and often fall short of it. These annual
expenditures for repairs -woyaa daahkleae
pay the interest and provide siaks1g
fund for payment Of principal. Of such a
~ Ia
tain good roads.
1t would be far better then for the sey-
eral counties to borrow on their bonds.
sufficient money to make good roads and
raise, by taxation. the means required for
interest. and sinking fund for the re-
dcmption Of the bonds. In case Of roads
Of large. general importance. State aid
might be properly extended.
Such bonds. if not forced on the market
but sold gradually as their proceeds might
be needed to make roads. (care being ia
ken not to undertake too much in any ono
year would at once command good local
market. and in time be sought as gene
raj investment.
The appreciation Of property resulting
from good roads. would much more than
pay within reasonable period. the bonds
issued and thus the tax of redemption
would never be felt as burden, even If
an increase Of taxation over that required
by the present system, should be found
necessary at first.
But it would be true economy to secure
good roads even at the expense oe a very
large increase of taxation.
The true test Of jadicinus taxation is
the advantage returned to the tax payer.
and measured by this rule taxation for our
common road repairs are extremely iniu-
dicicus and wss,eful each year. only re-
s;oring-if il does restore-what the pro-
ceeding year expended without real i'm
provement. Good roads, well made.
might cost more in the beginning. but
would pay for the outlay; bad roads re-
paired in perpesuity, withou, permanent
betterment. mus, always remain loss.
Your memorialis,s think these susres-
ticns. however crude. may be made use
full by careful aud detailed consideration
Of this subject of County Roads. which. in
view Of lis exceeding Importance to the
State at large, they do not hesitate to
press most earnestly upon the ccnsidera-
ton Of every member Of your Honorable
Hoiv - E,xsyu fks In r.,loul Ets.t. Ac~.: