Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1883-07-27
County Road Systems.

our contemporary would fully explain this
Page law, and its advantages and disad
vantages. We presume there is no mate
rial difference between the character of
soil and the roads in Anne Arundel and
Charles-Anne arundel Aacertiser.
We refer our contemporary for the full
text of the law in question to chapter 452
Of the acts of 1868. The distinctive fea-
lures of the law consisted in the appoint
ment of person of skill and judgment as
an engineer to be general superintendent
of the road service in the county, and in
requirement that every male resident of
the county, above the age of 81 years and
not physically incapacitated, should con-
tribute annually. without compensation,
either in person or by substitute, two days
of labor in the road service In this way
the labor upon the roads was intelligently
and skifully directed with view to per-
manent and lasting repairs, and an abun
dance of efficient labor was secured with
the burden thereof resting equally upon
the whole people who use and enjoy the
roads, and not upon the overburdened tax
payers alone.
This system had been for many years
previous to its adoption here (aud we pre-
sumo is stilD in successful operation in
several of the Northwestern States; the
idea having been communicated to our
people by gentleman from that section
of the country, who visited the county
During the two years it was in operation
here, it showed most satisfactory results;
and extensive and permanent improve
ments were made in the thoroughfares of
the county. Many swamps and boggy
places in the roads, which had previously
been impossible in bad weather, were by
the skilful management of the superinten-
dent in charge, effectively drained and
provided with substantial and enduring
causeways; 50 that travel over them was
rendered easy and safe at all seasons. 1t
is generally agreed by our better Judging
citizens that, had that system been con-
tinued down to the present time, our roads
throughout the county would have been
converted into turnpikes, and the burden
of future repairs have been thereby great
ly reduced.
Notwithstanding the efficiency of that
system. the extent OF its operations and
the skilful manner in which the work was
conducted, it was not burdensome to the
tax payers. The ma ximum annual expen-
diture allowed under that law, including
the superintendent salary was $1,000,
while the annual expenditure under the
inefficient and do-nething system Of it
may be called a SYSTEM now in operation
here is double that amount.
The great economy Of the Page system
consisted in the manner in which labor
was provided; but that feature of it was
what led to its downfall. It seemed rea-
sonab,e and just that the whole people,
who are entitled in common to the unre-
stricted use of the roads. should contribute
equally in providing the necessary labor
for the repair and preservation thereof;
the amount of contribution required from
each was trifling and inconsiderable. and
it would have been thought that all good
citizens would cheerfully render the small
service required. Indeed. we do not
think there was any considerable dissatis-
faction among the people themselves; but
there are, unfortunately, in every commu
nifty, some officious patriots, who are al
ways ready to catch at the slightest op-
portunity to manifest their zeal (real or
pretended) in protecting the rights of la
Dor against capital. Some of these saw
an opportunity in what they claimed to be
the unconstitutional requirement of the
road law of two days of s.rvice annually
from all residents OF the county. who were
called on, without compensation. An is
sue was made at the polls, and the anti
road-law delegation was, at a very small
election, sustained. There was no full
turn out of voters, and the popular will
was consequently not fairly expressed.
The TINES has always been, and is the
sincere friend of the laboring class; and
holds it to be its duty at all times to de-
fend the laboring man from the ex'ortions
and expressions of capital. We're the
land holders and tax payers of this coun-
| ty an opu!ent and wealthy class, deriving
fair revenues from their estates, we should
say without hesitation that upon them
should rest the entire burden of keeping
up the public highways in a manner con-
ducive to the best interests of the county.
But such is not the case. Our taxpayers
are already heavily burdeneG, and the a.
mount of $4,000 per annum, which is
now expended for public road repairs, is
really onerous to them, and, owing TO the
utter unskilfulness with which the work,
under the present system is carried on, no
adequate or satisfactory improvem mt to
the thoroughfares result from this large
expenditure.
These facts suggest the necessity Of a
change. That the work should be more
skilfully directed, the corps more efficient
ly organized, the whole business more
systematically conducted and the large
expenditures at the same time reduced
From past experience our people know
that the Page system would accomplish
all these results. The work done would,
under that system, lie thorough and per-
manent, and the expense just one-half Of
what it now is. The question then arises
ought not those citizens of the county,
who do not contribute to the payment of
taxes, be willing to contribute two days
OF labor, or its equivalent, in the course