Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1888-09-25
reRMs.
ne QuestIo. Fer DecIsiss.

$ 10 are pleased 10 note that our cor
ondent takes our suggestions ~ to the
rnpike discussion as they were intended
~ taken anil comedies that the matter
- considered IL simply the advisability
a tho purchase Of the turnpike roads by
- county, their being no question as TO
Nh utility or ~ to their ownership.
SHOULD the county buy the turnpike
toods 7 That Is the question at issue. If
D6hould, the mode by whichit may proceed
'loobtain title to them is clearly defined
n the act Of assembly. And the first con.
elderation in the question is VS. to whether
tho county can afford the purchase,
which would probably require million
g moro Of dollars to complete. At four
sper cent. interest, at which rate the
county can readily borrow the money,
tAb would readily entail an annual
oAarge Of forty thousand dollars. We
40 not suppose that many persons will be
disposed to deny that free roads will be
vary cheap at that figure to the city and
country communities, who will then
Avcid tho annoyance and detention as
Wsll ~ the cost Of toll.gates.
10 this charge upon the county must
b added the charge upon the townships
for keeping the roads in good order.
Az the roads principally benefit
those who live along them, 1t is
fAir that the cost OF keeping them
up should fall upon them, and We have
10 doubt they will willingly assume It.
r Il objected by some persons to the pur.
chase Of the roads by the county that
they will soon fall into bad order, and
will not be repaired properly by the su-
pervisors. This opinion we do not share.
Az It will be the interest Of the people
living along the line that the roads shall
b In good condition, they will not only
not object to their being 80 kept by the
supervisor, but they will see that he
properly discharges his duty and should
be fail in it, there is punishment provided
By the law for supervisors who suffer
their roads to become unfit for travel.
It is possible that the turnpike roads
may not be as smoothly kept when the
t0ll-gates are taken of /; but the chance
h quite ss good that they may be bet
Ter kept. Much will depend upon the
character Of the men who have charge Of
/ the work; just ~ great deal depends
now upon the kind of men who are in q
turnpike direction. We have turnpikes
about the town that are not as smooth as
they should be, by great deal.
We are strongly In favor of the
purchase Of all the turnpike roads in the
county by the county. We believe that
it will pay the taxpayers to have free
roads. There are very few roads that
will cost more to purchase than they
cost to make. The Millersville may be
such an exception, as the correspondent
suggests, but it is the only one wa. think
kttrsstias corn ot,.safuable patronage
~ ossnqtosx, ybeTs shortness and great use
clare yiElaafse profit upon its original cost
4 but. not, it must be remembered, upor
the cost of the stock to many of it
present owners. The Williamstown roat
sells away beyond par, but away belov
it, cost; the present owners havin,
bought 1t for tritle and the first owner
having lost most of the money spent ii
making 1t.
The turnpike roads, as a lot, can b
bought by the county below thei
cost. Their purchase will be judiciou
and profitable to the community tn
county can afford to make it and tn
sooner 1t does it the better.