Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1889-02-02
WANTED--BETrERcoUNTRY ROADS


Governor Beavers plea for better
roads meets with favoring re
sponse from the press in and out
side of the State. Pennsylvania is
no worse off than most of the states
in the matter of public roads, and is
better off than some. Bad public
highways are q national evil. The
wealth, invention and care thai
would have gone to public roadways
under other conditions have been di
verified to the construction and per
lection of tile road beds Of railways
Governor Beaver struck q popular
chord when he asked for better
roads in this State, and the Legisla
ture will do no wiser and more pc
little thing than to carry out his sug
gestions and make beginning, al
least, of the longdelayed and long
needed reform in the public roads
of Pennsylvania.
Governor Ames, of Massachusetts
has urged the necessity of the same
improvement in behalf of road legis
lation now in progress in Northern
New Jersey. The plan proposed by
the residents about Elizabeth, Rah.
way, Plainiield and other villa towns
In the same neighborhood is to have
certain main roads turned over eth.
er to the county Board of Free hold.
ers or to some commission, and then
roads are to be built, maintained and
managed by the county authorities.
The New York EUening Post recent
~ made Il like suggestion: urging
that a separation be made between
the control Of the trunk highways
in county and the lntersecting
roads. The former would be turned
over to the county authorities and
paid for by county taxation and the
latter continued under the present
management.
This division, which looks well on
paper, has been in force for years in
Ohio without in the least improving
it's Mud roads," These are divid
ed into state, county and township
roads, as they are in two or more
counties, in one or in Il township.
With work doue by the day system,
however, this division Of manage.
ment left the roads us they were.
The only good roads in Ohio have
been made under "a Free Pike act,
which permits a county by Il special
election to levy a tax in addition to
the road tax for tho construction of
free turnplkes. In counties where
this has been done and where n
sharp gravel furnishes good road
bed Judge w. r. Lawrence report
ed in 1888 that the value of farms
had been increased full 25 per cent.
by these roads.
No change, however, will work
which does not recognize, first, that
road building requires trained skill
aud, second, that the present plan
of letting farmers "work out" a
road tax is antiquated. "Cood road
construction in Europe" says the
Engineering Neacs. 'senlists the SER
vices of the best engineers the cOun-
try can afford" These men conduct
all the work, hire all the labor and
pay out all the money. Mr.. A. j.
CaSsatt's term as road.master Il few
years ago shows what can be done
by AN engineer OF the first rank, who
devotes himself to the task Of max.
ing good roads under present con.
ditions. But every road district can
not have a Mr.. Cassatt. Without
such direction IL vast deal of labor
is expended on roads without the
slightest result. Paying taxes in
kind Is "a relic of barbarons condi
lions. 1t ought to hn abolished. Oh
course, if the farmers prefer the sys
tenn OF working out their road tax to
a system of good roads, American
country roads will remain in theil
present condition. The tax will con
tinue to be paid, its aggregate
amount will be enough to give good
roads and it will all be wasted. The
roads will remain what they are
the worst in any civilized country
Press.