The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1878-02-23
THE COUNTY ROADS.

AS tHc tllle dppiod'utS III INC sdie
of the roads by the County Commits
sioners, few words upon the subject
may not be inopportune or amlss. The
system recently inaugurated of letting
the roads out on contract to the lowest
bidder has about it many excellent fea-
lures, and if properly conducted would
secure to the people Of the county the
luxury of good roads where, in many
places, they are almost impassable.-
The system adopted has thus far, how
ever, resulted in making the roads but
little, if any, better than they We're
under the old plan. From all parts of
the county we daily hear complaints
relative to the condition of the roads,
and our own observations bear out the
truth Of the complaints. We know a
half dozen extensively travelled high
ways in such condition as to make them
exceedingly dangerous to the lives, and
limbs and property Of the people using
them. 1t is not necessary to specify.
If any Of our readers who are not
familiar with the facts, will take the
trouble to walk a mile or two into the
country on either of the main roads
leading to Elkton, they will see for
themselves, and be convinced that we
do not misstate or exagcerate Where
the fault lays we do not undertake to
say. There ought to he and there is a
way to remedy the grievance 1t is an
outrage Gu the tax payers of this county
to collect taxes from them in order to
keep the roads in repair aud then force
them when they have occasion to travel,
to drag through mud and mire, in and
out of gulies and across unstable and
insecure bridges at the peril of their
lives
If we have read the law Alright. il is
the duty of the Examiners to inspect
every portion Of the road under their
supervision, and if they are not in good
repair to refuse certificate to the party
or parties who are under contract to
repair them Until such certificate is
obtained the County Commissioners
have no authority to pay the contract
price. And vet we know Of scarcely
an instance where the necessary certifi-
CAFE has not been readily obtained, or
where the County Commissioners have
refused to pay. On the contrary, we
do know OF numerous instances where
the certificates have been given when
the Examiners must have known. if
they performed their duty in the inspec-
ton, that the roads they certified were
in good repair were in most miserable
condition, and on those certificates the
Commissioners have made the payments
called for in the contract.
We have no disposition to quarrel
with the Commissioners, nor do we in
tend to do so, but this is a matter in
which we are alike Interested and. in
The friendllest spirit, we take the first
convenient opportunity to call their
earnest attention TO subject Of so great
concern to our entire people The first
important step to guard is as to the
character Of the persons with whom
they contract. They are not bound to
contract with any one simply because
he has made the lowest bid They
should take into consideration the char
acter of the bidder. his inclination and
his ability to carry out the terms of the
contract In the appointment of Exami-
ners the Commissioners should, also, be
clrcumspect. 1t is not every man who
can resist the opportunities Of friend
ship and can refuse when it is his duty
to refuse If these hints and others
that cannot fail to suggest themselves
are acted upon, we are confident the
result will prove highly satisfactory and
beneficial