Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1877-09-20

pay for 1t. It needs no argument at
.au to show that Penn Twp, does
not ask or want it. Not one other
citizens win be benefited by it to the
amount of a dime-not one Is on the
petition asking such road. These
are .factsadmitted by all. 1t Is plain
then that the road is not wanted for
the benefit of Penn Twp. or any
man i'm it. Who then does want
1T Z? The Pine. Creek region certain
w does not. Woodward does not
the lower end of Haines generally
does not. The whole matter boiled
down amounts TO about this: Some
of the citizens of Aaronshurg and
perhaps small region round about
would like to have n near cut TO the
Depot provided they can saddle the
heaviest burden upon others. They
want the road as Il convenience, for
lt il certainly not 4 business necesSi-
ty, but are entirely willing that their
neighbors ofan adjoining township,
who are already loaded down TO
groaning by taxation, for the benefit
of others, should foot the greater
part of the bill. This is their modest
reuuest-this IL exactly what they
ask,
lie. us now examine how the mat
ter stands numerically. IS citizens
OF Haines twp. being less than one
fourth of her total number, ask for
the road. Not man from Penn is
on the Affirmative side of this ques-
ton. So citizens of Haines and l67
Of of Penn--a u total of 2223-remon-
strate against it. This shows, IL
anything, the current ofpublic opin-
ION on the subject, and that While
hut n small fraction of the voters OF
Haines township desire this road, u
very slarg q majority of both town
ships consider il mnecessarY--in
fact all but useless.
The shortening of the distance
from AaronsbGrg to the Depot.
which if IT am correctly informed
viii be lessened about three .fourths
OF n mile, and the convenience OF a
comparative ~ small number Of the
citizens of Haines, mostly of Aarops-
burg. will Ee but an insignificant
| offsett against the costs Of construc-
tion and the damages this road will
entail. and both costs OF making and
damages win fall most heavily on
Penn, wEo has rot the slightest in
terest to subServe, but much to suf-
| fer, if this road be forced upon her
against her strongest possible pro-
test. il would cut the SwartZ farm
dlagonally through its entire length,
and nec6 ssit ate the building of NJ
least mile of fencing for both
sides of road) in Penn township. all
| of which would come out OF the
straitened purses Of her tax payers,
while those at whose instance. the
road Is made. If at alL win escape
with but trifling expenses in compar-
ison. At morderate estimate the
costs of construction and damages,
il fairly assessed. would be St least
$1,000 for Penn township. This is
certainly low enough, as the fencing
alone would cost over $500. In
summing up then, the account would
| stand about thus: usfsani
| Penn pays for the benefit oS IIaines:
On the new road from Mill
helm to Depot. at least $1,000
On the Pine Greek road, 900
On the (proipcted) road from
Aarcnsburg to Intersections, 1000
$24o0
This is what Penn twp. is cody
! asked to do i'm the face of the fact
thas the assessed valuation oil
Haints is S124. SIT in excess Of that
of Penn. and of the additional faci
that Penn, with much Jess means
and with number Of her property
holders residing in and subscribing
their rail road stock TO the credit OF
IIaines, has contributed as much in
dollars and cents to the building of
the rail road as UaineS township
did.
If any number Of the citizens oil
cHalnes township or of Aaronsburi
want new roads for their exclusive
benefit, let them follow the example
of Penn, and pay for them tf emselye:
as they are so much more able TO do
and not ask it of others, who arr
poorer, and who have already done
much more than their comparable
share to the building Of the great
! enterprise of -Perns Valley. Thi:
would he common fairness ant
good logic as we'll. IF the COLDER
rule'is worth anything at all in roat
making-here would be fine chanc,
for practical application.
EQUITY.