The interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1872-1881, 1879-01-03
TTRNPTEES.
y"sber Four.


In the success OF turnpikes, toll
gates are an indispensable necessity.
Through them must come ell the funds
with which to maintain the roads in
good condition. Faithful and reIia-
bic gate keepers to collect. and judi
cious Presidents to appropriate the
funds collected, are the two indispensa-
bic factors in all good turnpikes. The
failure of one or both. will soon Grip
pie the road. The roads suffer IL she
gate keepers fail TO collect the proper
toll, and II the Presidents misapply the
funds, still the roads suffer When
the gate keepers fail to discharge their
duties the remedy is with the Board of
Directors. They can dismiss them
and substitute others in their places,
and in some Companies which elect
their President they can change him;
but in other Companies the President,
like the Directors, is elected by the
direct vote Of the stockholders, and
the Board has no such power over
him.
To all turnpikes well located and
well kept. toll gates are of very great
importance. But the Boards of Di-
rectors cannot always secure the most
eligible sites for toll houses. The
owners of the land will not be annoy
ed by them on their premises, and
therefore, they can only be located on
such sites as the owners thereof will
sell, and often by such unsuitable To-
cations much legitimate toll is lost.
Bot however well the toll house
may be located, yet the gates being
Eve miles apart, there is much trav-
cling and hauling on the roads be-
tween the gates for which no toll is
paid. Such travel has the benefit of
a good road and pays nothing therefor,
and it is probably true that the roads
are as much worn out by neighbor-
hood travelling and heavy hauling
which pay no toll, as they are by the
travel which passes through the gates
and pays toll; but for this there is no
remedy.
But faithful and reliable gate keep
keepers are far more important than
the good location Of the toll houses.
The position of gate keeper is con-
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS, and Of
small compensation, and no man will
accept it If he can do any better. The
compensation of the gate keepers is
a house and garden, and salaries rang
ing from 81 to IS per month-an in
come so small that man cannot sup
port family unless he combines with
it trade or some outside work. And
besides, however honest and correct
the gate keeper may be, his position
makes him liable to grave suspicion OF
dishonesty. The Presidents can not
know exactly how much toll the gate
keeper ought to have received during
, the month; how much he did actually
receive; and whether he has accounted
for all he received. Reliance must be
had ON the statements OF the gate
keeper, who has no means Of proving
that his statements are true. Some
times the integrity of an honest gate
keeper has been unjustly impeached,
: and some times the unfaithfulness Of
/. another was not suspected at the time
In the very nature of the case the pc
sition Of a gate keeper is so irrespon
/ sible that turnpike Companies have
had much trouble on the subject, and
=. have been under the necessity of ma
=. king frequent changes. Some time
q they have found the fright man in thu
a right place" and some times :hey
{ have found 1.-THE wrong man in thu
e wrong place" But still the position
1 of a good gate keeper is so Important
' that the Companies should keep a
4 long as possible all good gate keepers,
and apply the principle of rotation il
4 office to others, until a good gat
3 keeper is rotated into all the gates.
S. s. MGR.