Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-08-09

morning, the meeting WAS caiieo 70 OrQer Oy
Senator Harlan, who told briefly the object
Of the gathering and said the commission
would be pleased to hear from any one ho
had any information to impart on the sub
ject of roads.
The first gentleman to make statement
before the meeting was Alba J. Gilfillan,
of Maratha, n. Y, representative of a
road machine company. He said he had
travelled about the State of Pennsylvania
considerably, and found that the large ma
jority of country people favor road taxes
and State aid, yet they object to the affair
being taken out of the hands of townships.
As to each townships ability to pay, under
the present law there is no provision for the
townships borrowing money. Then, he
said, "the present road supervisors are,
as rule, totally unit for their
duties. 1t takes good engineer to build
road, and YOU cannot get competent man
to spend his time at road building for 81 80
per day, which at present is the road super
yisor's nay. a good man ought to get at
least s. per day for such work. The couu-
ties should appoint some man or men vino
are practical engineers, and who would do
this work as county officials. The State
should help in this matter and distribute
the money appropriated in the same manner
as the school money is distributed now. The
State should help only those townships
which help themselves.
Gas to the system Of working out the
taxes, 1t is fraud. When farmers go out
to work on the road they're out on a picnic;
at least l used to do so. We'd go out with
a good amount of stories in steel, and that
is all.
FOUND IN ONE TOWNSHIP.
''Last yearI was in Allegheny county,
West Deer township. There is 100 miles of
roads with S., 400 to work on. One of six
supervisors had three-quarters of a mile,
and worked oDt $50 taxes with a very few
hands in a day or day and half or so.
have made it a rule to inquire of old men
how much better the roads are now than
they were in the time of these persons
youth. Nearly all said the roads were worse
now than formerly. That's a bad way of
progressing"
Andrew Patterson, of lakewood, CHARTERS
township, spoke next on the subject. He
said: 81 am strongly opposed to convict
labor on the roads. 1t would be demoralIz-
ing and expensive, disgusting sight, and
would do no good morally or otherwise. 1
want State aid given to the counties, through
which it would revert to the townships.
The money ought to be appropriated, not
only according to road mileage, but also to
sctu al work done. No money ought to be
given unless il was seen that the work was
county control, the local highways under
control of townships"
Humorous hits sparkled in the defense of
road supervisors made by Colonel John
Glenn, of ALLEGHENY, who was the next
speaker. 81 agree with the other gentle
man." he said. lam in favor OF State aid.
Convict labor would be a revolving spec
taele. Besides, it would cost more to bring
convicts to different parts o the county far
IL. Il. h.. l.
The roads / travel now not as good
they were when was boy. / am opposed
to the system of working out the taxes. If
but few miles per year had been thor
oughly built during all this time, we would
have good roads to-day"
FAvoRs STATE AID.
An opinion was next heard from W. 81.
Guy, OF the County Poor Board, who said:
81 think the taxpayers are capable OF max
ing roads themselves; at any rate oppose
the creation of new county offices, the taxes
being large enough as it is. l would favor
State aid il it does not come of the farmer.
II the farmer has to pay or it, it would be
best to pay it directly to the township treas
urer. The road laws are so complicated that
the supervisors do not know what they are.
In our townships the roads are not worse
than they were many years ago. We have
obtained machinery, and even under the
present laws we are securing better roads by
This means"
County Commissioner R. S. Mercer spoke
some time, and was piled with questions
about the system followed in Allegheny
county. The interrogators admired the
satisfactory results obtained by the Allie
gheny county management Mr.. Mercer
explained the work and duties of the county
engineer, who does all his planning according
to estimates and appropriations by the
County Commissioners.
'The townships should have the power to
borrow money or immediate use when nec-
essary," said Mr.. Mercer. County bridges
ought to be paid for by the county, but
township bridges should be built and kept
in repair at the expense OF the township.
1t is necessary now, in such cases, to take
from the contingent und; it would be better
to borrow ready money instead of obligating
the township by issuing bonds and taxing
the townships citizens to pay off the debt"
Following Mr.. Mercer, H. Quail, o
Washington county, gave his opinion much
in accordance with what had been said
before. Even the selling out Of roads, in
half mile portions" be said, "has its draw
backs"
The father of the road bill, Hon. j. G,
Foight, of Westmoreland county, then ad-
dressed the meeting. Much regret was felt
that Superintendent Warner was not pres
ent to give his views on the subject of con-
vict labor, as from his experience bis views
would have great weight with the commits
sion.
OBJECT IN COMING HERE.
sour object in coming 10 Pittsburg," said
Mr.. FOight, twas not alone to hear express
sions OF opinion on this feature, but more
particularly to hear The view of Superin-
tendent Warner, OF the workhouse, upon
the subject o applying convict labor in the
construction Of roads. 1t is not the aim of
the commission to recommend the building
of expensive macada zed roads, and thus
add to the already heavy burdens of the
farmer, but to devise a plan by which the
money now annually expended may be
made to secure better results. The present
system, or lack system, is very expensive.
Besides, under it the money is thrown
away"
The commission then adjourned till the
afternoon session. Last night the various
members lett Tor the East They have held
three meetings recently. Towsnda, in Brad
ford county, Titusville. in Crawford, and
Pittsburg, and at the completion of their
work they Will prepare an elaborate report
based unon their investigations and submit
the same to the General Assembly In JAN
nary.