Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1888-08-02
THE NATTON4L ROAD.

highway ever built through it. 1t was
the best built road undertaken in the
country to this day. After completion
it was given to the States traverSed by
Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia,
and Ohio-with the stipulation that the
road wyuld be kept in like good repair.
This was a half century ago. The States
East of us kept faith, in measure, with
the terms of cesSion. Ohio, on the other
hand. less than twenty years afterward,
leased it to lot of spectators, who, af-
ter milking it dry, turned it over to the
State in a worn out condition. Follow
ing this, the State treated this splendid
gift in niggardly spirit, exacting from
its tolls every dime that was expended
upon it, including all manner of salaries,
robbing it of upward of $4,000 to pay
for an old and worn out bridge over the
Muskingum River, in the city of Zanes-
vile, and finally dumping it upon the
counties.
The mistake our people have made is
that they did not long ago energetically
look after this road in the choice of men,
bers of the General Assembly. Counties
interested in the canals did not neglect
their opportunities, as have the counties
traversed by the National Road The
State has duty in the premises, but its
enforcement would not be an easy mat
ter
The neglect from which the road long
ago suffered, the inability in recent years
to fairly maintain it from the tolls, and
especially the great damage resulting to
it from the recent storm, make it abso
lutely necessary that some decided meas
ures be adopted to restore the road, in
measure, to what 1t was. Its mainten-
ance is important to the whole county
to the belt of townships through which
it passes of immense Importance.
What is the situation?
The National Road Fund-a fund de-
rived from tolls-has but few hundred
dollars to its credit $3O2.22 The Coun-
ty Bridge Fund, it is estimated, at the
August settlement will have a balance
of about $3.50.
The law transferring the road to the
counties reads:
The Commissioners of counties through
which any part of the National Road pass
es shall take under their care and control
in behalf of their respective counties, so
much of said road as lies within the linn
its of their counties respectively; x
said road shall be kept in such repair by
each county so taking possession thereof
as is contemplated by the act of Congress
ceding to the State the jurisdiction and
control of such portion of said National
Road as lies within the limits of this State;
and such Commissioners shall be govern
ed in all respects by the laws in force re-
lating to said road, except as hereinafter
provided; but they shall not assess or levy
any tax for the repair or preservation of
said road, except as provided in the gen.
eral statutes for the repair and preServa-
ton of county and State roadS.-Sec. 1881,
heCtSe0 Statutes.
Section 1882 requires all moneys re-
ceived from tolls, after paying salaries
of gate-keepers, to be expended in keep
ing the road in repair.
Since the transfer to the county all ex-
penditures for bridges and culverts have
been paid out of the receipts from tolls.
The sum is considerable, and the proba-
bilities are all should have been paid out
of the County Bridge Fund. The act
prescribing what bridges shall be con-
structed and kept in repair by counties
reads:
The Commissioners shall construct and
keep in repair all necessary bridges over
streams and public canals on all State and
county roads, free turnpikes, improved
roads, and abandoned turnpikes and plank
roads, in common public use, except only
in such cities and villages as by law have
tine right to demand and receive part of
the bridge fund levied upon property
within the same.-Sec. $780, ReciSeG Stat.
The meaning of this is not perfectly
clear, but certainly it can not mean that
upon roads owned by the county, as is
the National Road, the county shall not
build bridges and culverts, simply be-
cause it exacts tolls from those driving
over it, to be used in maintaining the
road. No good reason can exist for ex-
Guiding that class of roads from those
for which counties shall provide bridges
and culverts. If the law means to eX-
clude such road, it is an absurdity.
This is the general provision Of law pre-
scribing what character of roads bridges
NAV be built and maintained upon at the
public expense. bridges over streams
"and public canals on all State and coun-
"ty roads" are among them, and in ad-
dition on all free turnpikes, improved
"roads, and abandoned turnpikes and
"plank roads in common public use."-
Read in connection with the closing SEN
tence of section 1881, quoted above
~But they shall not assess or levy any tax
"for the repair or preservation of said
"road, except as provided in the general
"statutes for the repair and preservation
"of State and county roads" the mean
ing of section $50 and Of the act author
izing Commissioners to levy taxes for
road and bridge purposes, becomes more
apDarent. /" For the repair of State and