The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1885-11-26
THE NATIONAL ROAD.
A Correspondent Complains of DiScriminH'
tlOn and IDJustics.
To uGt Editor oILhs LnteLli0eIer.

tOn and IDIuAtice.
TO ls< Editor JLaE IH;eGt0aIe1.
sIR:-Having completed the exposure
OF nest Of corrupt and incompetent
officials, the INTELLIGENCE is more thar
ever bound TO continue its policy OF ex'
hibiting to the public in the strong light
OF point, the false pretenses Of economy
and reform Of its servants. The writer,
therefore laying aside natural disircli.
nation to expose himself to calumny,
would call attention to another instance
which well illustrates to what an extent
OF extravaganza and injustice party policy
and incompetence may lead men armed
with little brief authority-that instance
is the National Road.
Ina space OF two miles east OF the city
there are three toll.gates, the first within
the limits. There need to be but one.
The total revenues are about 5000, and
the expense Of collection Is not less than
$500, or about 80 percent How this
outrageous burden was placed upon the
people, and how party, assuming to
itself exclusively the virtues OF economy
and reform, manages to sustain three par
tisan collectors where one would suffice,
the following facts will explain:
The first gate reaches only the town Of
Fulton. 1t costs 800 yearly and leaves to
the State Board OF Public Works the pal
try sum OF some $50 for expenditure upon
the road. In other words, the collection
expenses are i've times the revenue, an
instance OF e1tortion only equalled by
that praCticed upon the wretched Fellah
OF Egypt. BY what right do these people
pay such tax? Few Of them 10 one
yards beyond the city limits, and
many actually pay city tax. 1t is no
answer to say that they refused to con.
tinue an arrangement; and when an
agreed sum was paid, at most the rate
should be merely nominal, whereas it ex-
ceeds railway. passenger rates. Abolish
toll.gste No. /, and collect the SS0'by re-
duCed rate Of tax.
The next gate.is at the east end OF Full.
ton, and all traffic from beyond must pass
through-must pass through, mark you.
What necessity then for another gate less
than mile beyond, which takes from the
road salary OF $500, with other expenses
besides2 Why not give the road the bene-
tit OF that sum? 1t needs it. Why main.
tain two men and two establishments
when one only is needed? Verify, Mr.
Editor, the writer cannot answer, and
leaves the solution to the Road Super
visor who devised the plan.
Let us examine the workings Of this
second gate and see how it is sustained,
remembering that it should be the only
gate beyond Fulton until We reach the
State line. This is done by two devices,
oy throwing on the third gate collections
which belong to the second, and by an
outrageous and transparently partial ma.
nipulation OF the rates of toll between the
two gates, as witness the following table:
Horse Horse and Two horses Two horses
49,. ARd carriage and and carriage
wagon. lbugy.l wsgon. lbugyl
E EfS S1oSs:''.:s i Is :
An analysis reveals at once its con.
temptible trickery and discrimination.
Tbs traveller pays, with horse and buggy
Tor carriagel, six cents to the third gate
whether he goes by hill or peninsula, in
the first instance paying Six cents for less
than two and in the second six cents for
less than one mile on the road. Another
instance OF greater than railway charges.
But for wagon and horse, no matter what
the weight OF the vehicle and load, he
paws only four cents! Why this discrim.
nation? The writer can answer this. 1t
ia because the old rate on wagons
was retained and the buggy toll increased,
a proceeding, the motive OF which is
obvious when it is remembered that the
Leatherwood and Steenrod people drive
nearly altogether in buggies, and when 1t
is borne in mind that the gate is sustained
BY seventeen families only. All the rev.
enue possible is squeezed out OF these
families to sustain partisan on one.hal
the receipts, which at fair rates would not
exceed 90 cents per day.
The traveller to Elm Grove pays but
eleven cents fer the six or seven miles,
less than one.third the rate just discussed.
The writer protests that the Light buggy
should nay less than the wagon, and fails
to see the Justice OF attaching penalty for
living near the CITY,. Perhaps the lucid in.
tellect Of the Superintendent can assign
satisfactory reason, Why must Leather
wood pay six cents for the mile to Fulton
and only five cents for the five miles to
Elm Grover Mr.. Editor, we demand the
answer and viii have It. We insist on
knowing why the third gate 10 sustained i
why all the above and many other abb
surdities OF discrimination exist; why con-
tracts were let in town which could have
been done by outsiders at less coat; why
the Elm Grove railroad has been allowed
to enCroach upon the road, and whether
the Superintendents pass had anything
10 do with it. We want 70 know, in brief,
why the administration Of that great en-.
trance into the city, upon which are car
ried food and fuel for it's people, ia con-
Quoted on principles which DO violence to
all fairness, justice and economy: We
want the answer in the name Of all who
use the road, and failing Of reply, We will
oaE a0atp ENHIH.