The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1880-12-01
me Road Laua d Wed vIreInIa.
Wheeling RegIslerl .

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Death and faxes are not mose Ger
tain than a semi annual quarrel over
the road laws Of West Virginia.
The reasons for this are two, to-
wit; Bad laws and bad roads-the
one the natural sequence OF the 9th.
Ter.
Thme-fourths of the members Of
THE Legislature will come together
this winter charged. brim full Of an
athemas against certain features Of
the road Law, and'piih the instruct
ions Of their conslituencies setting
Like heavy meal upon their mental
digestion. ~
The bed Of d West Virginia road,
when nature has NOT made TIA bed Of
rock, is plain mud. III the SUMNER
season, when not obstructed BY a
surplus Of boulders, it is passable
and pleasant. In the winter season
1t is impossible, except in a perpen-
dicular direction.
Everybody would rejoice il the
coming session of the Legislature
would solve the problem Of an Elf
Gent, permanent, satisfactory road
law and better roads.
The general road law Of the State
is Il buflesqne. Ito6ght to be. wiped
from the statute book. It isas prifn-
tive as an ancient corn.huskinp or
apple-bee, and operates on the self,
same principle,
The populace Of every settlement
is summoned once or twice year to
a little jamboree which is known as
working the roads" They get to.
gether and talk politics, talk horse,
talk gossip and go home at the end
of the day congratulating themselves
that they have had good time and
escaped s1.25 road tax.
What little work a gang of this
kind does, is done without system,
without judgment or experience, and
in such q manner as to be washed
away by the first rain.
The reason for the maintenance of
this general road law is not because
it makes good roads, but because by
it men are able to escape a road tax.
The majority of the Legislators will
come to the capital this winter with
instructions to stand by it. Those
who are tired Of bad roads and are
willing to incur he cost of good ones
will come with the determination to
repeal it. Right here the fight will
begin.
But it strikes us that conpro-
mise might be made on a good law,
which would commend itself to all
classes, because that would make
roads by an economical method.
There is such u law now on the
statute book. But it is dead letter
dead because it is made IN altern-
alive method, between good roads
and no roads. The latter are the
easiest to keep up, and hence the
most popular.
This alternative method is the one
in operation in nearly all the more
populous States. 1t is u sensible
method. 1t proceeds upon business
principles. II is not after the style.
ola corn-husking, or an apple bee,
but il is nevertheless an efficient
road law. 1t has been tested and
found efficient. II makes good roads.
1t makes them cheap. 1t makes
them permanent. 1t makes them
upon a uniform plan suggested by
the largest experience. 1t makes
the work of one season last until the
next. It makes them upon plan
hat enhances the value of every
mans property through which they
run; that saves his horses and his
vehicles; that saves the reputation of
his neighborhood and State. In fact,
it is this alternative plan which makes
the difference between the character
of the roads in West Virginia and
the neighhoring States Of Ohio@and
Pennsylvania.
The main features Of this aTterna-
tive road law are these: The roads
in each, county are divided into sec.
lions Of one half mile each. Every
year these sections are put up at
auction and sold to the lowest bid:
ders, who give bonds to keep their
sections in a certain specified condi.
ton, for certain price, for one year.
Naturally, these sections would be
bought by men living along the line.
of the road, who could give their
leisure time to keeping it in repajr,
to watching over il and keeping il
drained, and thus with Il little work,
and for u small compensation they
could keep one section in repair dur.
ing The year.
This would BIZ business. 1t would
insure the keeping of every section
of road in II county in good repair
throughout the year-uot in such
condition as the contractor would
judge sufficient, but as his contract
required of him If he failed to COM
ply with its specifications, the peo,
pie would pay nothing for the roads.
The simple statement of the plan
of the alternative method" excites