Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1884-05-02
Our Public Roads.

A movement is on foot among the tax
payers of the county to bring about mass
meeting to formulate certain amendments
in the method of conducting the county
road service, to be recommended to the
county commissioners for adoption. A
call for such meeting in Port Tobacco,
on Tuesday next, appears in our local CO.
umns to-day. This is move in the right
direction and it is to be hoped that the
call will be fully responded to. The COM
missioners, it is understood, have express
ed willingness to adopt such definite a.
mendments as may be suggested to them
by the bulk Of the tax payers. 1t is,there-
fore, of the utmost Importance that the
meeting which is called for next Tuesday
should be we'll attended, in order that the
recommendations to be made will carry
q presiage that the commissioners will not
feel at liberty to disregard.
The public road service of this county,
as we have frequently had occasion to
point out, is one of the most patent and
crying evils of the times. That service,
which involves an annual outlay of nearly
So, 900 is in the hands of entirely incom-
petent and inefficient men, under whose
unskillful direction the labor devoted to
this service is for the most part absolutely
thrown while in 20
work done is productive of injury rather
benefit to the thoroushtares The su-
pervisors of the several corps work entire
ly independently of each other each one
plodding away on his own hook without
any concert of action with any Of the 9TH
ers and without any system or regulation.
1t is believed by many. who have given
thought and consideration to the matter,
that it would be true economy to appoint
a general superintendent of skill and judg-
ment who should have entire charge of
the service, regulate and direct the work
of all the corps, receive and disburse all
the money devoted to the service and
make an accurate account thereof, and be
responsible for the proper conduct of the
service.
This, it is believed would be true econ
omy, even though it involved an addition
al outlay for the salary of such superin-
tendent, for as the work is now conducted
the money appropriated to it is absolute
ly thrown away. At the same time it is
believed that if the work were properly
conducted the sa airy of the superintend. mt
could be saved, so as to do more work
than is now done and in a skilful and
permanent manner and yet not cost any
larger amount than at present.
The public roads OF community have
direct and important bearing upon its
general welfare. If the roads of this
couaty were kept in that good condition
which the money expended on them
ought to effect. in addition to the great
additional pleasure and comfort which
would he experienced by travellers, the
value of every acre of land in the county
would be thereby enhanced. The markets
and shipping points would he placed
practically nearer to the farmers door
and the expense of conveying his products
be correspondingly reduced.
One of the first features of a country
looked at by the immigrant prospecting
for home, is the condition of its public
roads. If this is favorable the value of
the land is increase in his estimation and
is likely TO become a settler, while if the
roads show evidence of neglect and mat
tention he is apt to look further for
community where more public spirit is
evinced. The present condition of our
roads is such as to discourage and repel
that immigration of which our county
stands so much in need and which. with
proper efforts, there is every prospect OF
securing. 1t is, therefore, of the biggest
that some steps be taken, and
it is hoped that farmers will not allow
the presence Of the busy season to prevent
their attendance at the meeting which
has been called, and that there may be
full and representative attendance Of the
tax payers to take action upon this i'm
portant matter.