The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1882-03-02
County Roads.
TALK AND CONFUSION, WITH NO PRACTICAL
RESULT.

hVIo vi SIO SOuhty, hANSeAhS ",~o AAN>N' 49,
the Court House last Monday. for the pur
pose of adopting some plan by which an i'm
proved condition of the public roads could
be secured There were few persons present
at first, but after awhile the room filled up, and
quite large number manifested their interest
in the subject by close attention to the pro-
ceedIngs.
After some little delay in organization
Hugh F. Lyle, Esq, was called to the chail
and the representatives of the city press ap
pointed secretaries.
Mr.. Lyle briefly and tersely stated the ebjec
of the meeting and announced that the chaiI
was ready to entertain any proposition thai
might be submitted for consideration The
difficulty was that no one seemed to have any
definite idea of what was wanted. 1t was
fully ten minutes before anyone arose to address
chair. At length Col John Lewis Peytor
came to the front and stated that he had sup
posed the sgners of the call would be present
with some well digested plan to propose, upon
which discussion could be had, views COM
pared and tangible results arrived at. Such
however, did mol seem to be the case. The
speaker was impressed with the necessity e
prompt action in the matter, but thought that
whatever steps were taken should be first ma
'turely considered, and thoroughly understood
by the people Last year, a proposition to
macadamze the leading roads was submitted
at the spring election, and voted down by a
majorhy which amounted almost to unanim-
ity The reason for this was the general I'M
willingness to increase taxation. As a means
TO the accomplishment of the object of the
meeting, Col. Peyton suggested that COM
mltee be appointed to consider and present a
plan to be ratined at the polls, the committee
to report 20 a future meeting
Mr.. e. L. Houtf followed Col. Peyton, and
advocated the presentation of petition to the
amended SO as to require four days work on
the road instead of two.
Col John H. Crawford spoke in favor of the
abolition of the present system. declaring it to
be wholly inefficient, as well as unjust Under
it the men who We're supposed to work the
road, did just as little in that direction as
they possibly could. They went late in the
morning, stopped early. worked slowly, and
accomplished little practical good in the short
time they were out. For the purpose of get
ting an expression of opinion on the subject,
he submitted the following resolutions:
ResoSued. LIST, That a committee of two from
each Township be appointed as a committee to
draft bill for presentation to the Legislature
embodying IA radical change in the present sys-
TEN and looking to the general Improvement
of the roads,
2nd. That the committee prepare the bill
and present it without reference to any future
meeting OF this body.
Col Pey:on vigorously opposed these reso-
lutons for the reason that he did not propose
to relegate the whole ma tier to Il select COM
mittee. 1t was a question upon which there
should be a general expression of sentiment,
and the people themselves should act and de-
termine what measures were to be presented
to the Legislature as coming from them. AS
a substitute for Col. Crawfurd's resolution, the
speaker offered the 70 blowing:
Resoloed, That the chairman appoint at lels-
IRE committee of two from each Magisterial
District, whose duty ii shall be to consider the
best plan tor improving the county roads
whether by joint stock companies, the old
Township plan, or that of Rock bridge county
md report at a future meeting, at the same
time preparing IA bill embodying their views
10 be presented to the Legislature.
DIR. James F. Tate ADVOCATED return to the
old Township system. When that system was
in force the roads were kept in good condition
and were gradually improving. Since its
abolition the roads have deteriorated unit
| they are now little better than mud-holes anG
| swamps. He knew just exactly how the
present system operated, for he had worked
under it himself. A man would stand around
all day under the shade of tree and accom-
plsh just about as much as he ought to do in
| thirty minutes. The matchmaking of the
but that system would not reach out to the
neghborhood roads, and remedy the evil now
so seriously felt. Nothing in his opinion
would so surely meet this want as a return tC
the old system. There was no one who would
go farther than he to secure the grading and
metalling ofthe main highways, but he wanted
the tributaries of those highways put il suct
a condition that a load of wheat could be
started at the farm, and hauled to market with
out having to unload and reload it. Ii the
scheme to adopt system of improvements
for the main roads was carried out and NJ
adequate provision made for the neighborhooC
roads. the result would be that farmer would
have to haul half a load to the good road, an(
then return for the other half, or else would
send his team to market, with only half {
load. He was willing to see the joint stock
companies put in operation, or any othel
method adopted to raise the money. But the
difficulty would be met with when an effort
was made to negotiate the bonds If an ar
rangement could be perfected by which the
bonds would be guaranteed, it would be al
well and good, but he did not believe it ceul(
be done The most certa in and practical rem
edy in his opinion, was a return to the ole
township system.
AS an estimate OF the probable cost o
matchmaking the road, Col. Crawford pre-
sented letter from that veteran contractor
Mr. G. R. Mason, in which he estimated thu
cost of metalllng the roads, with bed tel
feet wide and one foot deep, at 81 ,225 pc
mile. This estimate was made upon the as
sumption that rock crushers and all modern
machinery would be used, and that the ma
terial be reasonably convenient.
Col. r. Turk spoke against the present sys
TEN, giving particular emphasis TO the injus
tice attendant on an enforcement of its pro
Visions His idea was that the farmers, thos
the establishment of good roads, should bea
the expense of the improvement. As the Law
now stands, the poor man who does not own
a hoof OF stock and only travels the road DC
casionally on foot, is taxed as much as the
| farmers whose teams and vehicles co all o
the damage He believed in distributing tn.
burthens in proportion to the benefits. Col
Peyton's proposition of joint stock compan,
more nearly met his views than any thing b.
had heard in the meeting.
| Mr. A. G.. Christian favored the Reckbridg
plan by which the roads are let out to contract
A number of other gentlemen were prepar
ing to express their views, when the chair an
nounced that the judge had returned, and tina
the court room would have to be vacated. HI
then put Col. Peyton's substitute to COL Craw
ford's resolution, to the house, and it was votet
down. The original resolution shared liz
fate, and even the motion to adjourn was lost