The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1878-03-16
THE SALE OF PUBLIC ROADS.

THE SALE OF PUBLIC ROADS.
The subject of public roads is one of
ever present Importance How to make
them good, aud how to keep them so, is
a pcrpleXing problem, with which for
generations past our county authorities
have been apparently wrestling in vain.
| Farmers clubs and agricultural s0cic-
ties have discussed the question AID
| NAusEuM, and although possibly some
Improvement in the general manage
ment of them has been accomplished
| in recent wears. vet much still remains
to he done before Tie best practical re-
suits can be attained. To secure. if
possible, a constant and watchful in
spection Of the public highways, and to
make SOME person responsible for the
condition of every part of them the
contract system has been adopted in
! Cecil county, under which the right OF
! maintenance and supervision of them il
sold at public auction to the lowest
bidder and the buyer put under bonds
! to the county for the faithful perform
! ance of his contracts. To secure still
further the public interests, as well as
the county moneys, a certified inspec-
| ton of the sections of road sold to III
divdual contractors is required, 10y EX-
aminers selected by the County Com,
missioners. without which no payment
shall he made on account of contracts.
In a word this is the system under
which the roads of the county have
just been sold for a term Of three wears.
1t will at once he perceived, that in til,
proper inspection III the roads by the
county Examiners, and the Impartial
discharge of their duty in the "rantin
"r refusal Of cert fcatr> of examination
lie, he key Of the contract system
And, practically, ih, is i'll most dcfr,
tive feature A. human nature is now
constituted, it i, almost next to upoe
-lb|e 10 secure d rigid tXnnlina' ION undt.r
individual contracts. Indeed. the ~
Tory of The administration of the county
office will show that certificates are lur
seldom refused by the Examiners H.
deed, the query has often been made, in
view of the condition Of certain roads
in this vicinity, how certificates Of th
fulflimcnt of contracts, based upon =
careful inspection of the condition Of
the roads, could possibly have been Oh
tanned. We must not be understood a,
insnuating that improper Inducements
have been offered Examiners to obtain
certificates without inspection or to in
innate that this dereliction upon tie
part of road Examiners involves cor
ruption or partisan Encouragement.
Not at ALL This is no partisan matter.
and we are not referring to it for party
purposes. The real trouble is that few
men have the necessary stamina and
moral courage to discharge the office
rigidly and impartiaily. A contractor
makes a poor mouth to the road Exam
liner. He pleads his loss on the con-
tract as his explanation of the condition
of the road. That he took it too low,
and was too poor to eXpend the neces-
sary amount to place his section in good
condition The Examiner may possibly
entertain aspirations for the commits
sloners' or other office. 1t is small
thing any how the county is better
able to lose the amount necessary TO a
proper repair of the section than the
poor contractor, and he signs the certi-
cate. 1t would compromise his per-
sonal popularity if he refused. and thus
between sympathy for his careless bust
ness brother and selfish regard for in
dividual interests the county is con-
stantly the loser, aud its tax PAYERS
cursed with bad roads In view. then, |
of the Importance of the office of the
examiner of roads, the County Com |
missioners owe it to the people of the
county to select these officers PURELY |
with reference to personal qualification |
and fitness for the position. 1t is par
ticularly necessary that the Examiners
to be appointed Ivy the new board of
County Commissioners, in April. should |
be competent, conscientious, and impair
tai public officers \ glance at the
aggregate amount of the recent sales in
several districts will suggest this neces-
sity. In the First district of the county
the contractors for repairs will receive
S6ll50 less per aGnum, or 1881 so |
less for the term of contract, than here. |
tofOre. In the Second district the con-
tractors will receive SS35 90 less per
annum, or 81 sos 90 less for The term of
contract, and in The Third district 1857 |
less per annum, or ~, 96I 90 less for
the term, than heretofore. How are
these striking differences to be ex.
planned? If the contractors can afford
to take the road sections at The present
prices, either the county has paid more