The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1888-01-14
THE ROAD QU ESTION.
A Msrrlng of Citizens Tuesday 10 Con
slider Amendments TO the Present ! aw.

| PVoS'i htS W Tue Sstibt, was uSlu
on Tuesday afternoon in the rooms of the
Cecil County Agricultural Society, in
Odd Fellows Hall, Elkton.
! An organization was effected by DR..
r E Cromwell beibg called to the chair
and MIR. Thomas Warning being made sec
rotary
MIR. WIN. T. Patton, of the Seventh
district opened the discussion. He
thought the present road law was a good
one. 1t would be better, however. if it
were amended so that the roads would
They could be sold then for much lower
figure than earlier. This would also
change the time of examining. Some
complain about the examiners being paid
$50, but he did not think it was too
much. He thought it would be wise to
have three inspectors in each district, at
a salary of So per day, when attending to
the duties of the office, two to examine
the roads of the other inspector. He
thought the office of com missioner should
be salaried one.
School Commissioner, George Biddle.
of the First district, agreed with Mr..
Patton that roads were better under the
present law than ever before He thought
that contractors for roads should be in
sured against heavy floods aud snow.
John Roach, of the Fifth district said
in order that those present might know
what they were talking about he would
read section fifth Of the law, stating what
was required of those letting roads. He
said that when the present law fl st went
into operation he was agent for Penn,
sylvania firm and bad occasion to go to
the farm of VIM. s. Potter, then County
Commissioner, and residing in the FIRST
district. Mr. Potter did not know that
the speaker was Cecil countain. He
asked the commissioner about the new
law and hr. Potter said cit re quires more
than mau Can do" He did not want
political law. He was a Republic ,n
but believed that there were men in that
party " no Ilu uuJ nave All ftlct dOoNc al
clam. There were Democrats on she
other hand, who had not sense enough to
do anything except vote the Democratic
ticket.
MIR. Patton, with all respect to Mr..
Potter diG not think that because he
said thing Was So, it made it 81. The
10 ,,,,n II
was because it required contractors to do
the work that they were opposed to it.
Mr.. Thomas Warning read the section
of the road law read before by Mr.. Roach,
and going over each item, said there was
nothing but what was necessary. He
thought with Mr. Bidde, however, that
there should be saving clause to save
persons taking the roads from expense
occasioned by snow or flood. In regard
TO the general merits of the law he
thought IL was the best we bad ever had.
He would not say that it was the best
that could be framed. We have better
roads than ever before and gradually i'm
proving roads. Last year. however, the
commissioners got scared and only levied
half the necessary amolnt. People would
not take them at half price and the com
missioners let them go By the run, moth
harvest. This was not the fault of the
law, but tue failure to apply anv law or
system to the roads. What we need is
not a new law but to apply the one we
have. II road mendiug was thing that
could b. dons all the year he would be
for having an engineer to superintend
the ROAD mending with authority to hire
help. But as all the road mendiug prac-
was possible.
Mr.. George Johnston of the Third dis
trict. offered the following resolution:
Be 1t resoloeI, That it is the sense of
this meeting that the present road law
be SO altered or amended as to give the
County Commissioners the power to keep
the roads in proper repair by contracting
with suitable persons To do the work, or
by employing suitable persons by tho
day, as in their Judgment may be best,
without the intervention of supervisors,
inspectors or any other official.
Mr.. Johnston thought the present road
law had been repudiated by all the peo-
pie OF Cecil county except by the few
present who were the only persons that
he had heard speak iavorably of it in
four Years. There is too much machinery
about the present law. What was wanted
was somebody to mend the roads and not
dozens to supervise. Money had been
use lessly expended.
School Commissioner Frank S Everist
moved the adoption of Mr.. Johnstop's
resolution and spoke in its favor. He
knew OF road in his district that was
contracted Tor at Sl66 had been mended
better by the commissioners the past
year for 500, and of another that was
contracted at $40, the commissioners
mended for $34 He was in favor of re
pealing the eutiro present law.
Mr.. Tuomas Waring said it was impos
sible for the County Commissioners to
give personal supervisor to all the roads.
No man would accept the office if this
had to be done. He thought the best
part of the present law was that Of pro-
vidiug inspectors.
Mr.. John Roach related his exp srieuce
with an inspector when b, was engaged
in road mending. The Inspector came to
him aud asked if his road was in good
condition. Mr.. Roach told him it was
his business to go and see to 1t, The in
spector said he would be he did,"
and wrote the necessary certificate that
the road was 10 good condition without
going over it.
Mr.. WariDg asked if they were to lie
down and die because some men did not
do their duty. The fact that men were
lazy as shown by the anecdote related
was an argumsn ant in favor of the inspec
ton of work. There was no royal road
to good roads.
Mr. Patton thought Mr.. Roach was to
blame for not reporting the Inspector.
Mr.. Edward Chandlee, of the First
district, said all that was needed was
that the present law be carried out to the
letter.
Mr.. George W. Cruikshank, was sur
prised to hear so many good words spoken
for the present road law after the public
clamor that there had been against it.
Hs thought the present road law should
be retained with amendments sugges ted.