The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1890-02-13
County Roads.


in my article of January Goth, surely had no
/ thought of exciting the ire or raising uhe ndis-
nation of the workingInen Of Augusta. There
was nothing farther from my purpose, ana the
iitiiglage of the article does not warrant the
conclusion arrived at by "a Workingnlan.n
III the first place, propose a change i'll the
present law, SO as TO SET better results for the
4 money expended money, not tabor.
After giving some OF the present workings of
4 tAe road law, said: It does appear to me that
tha aEaoAntoG aoney paid BY the county in this
way eoEila pc more judiciously expended under
some other plan ana submitted the outlines Of
a plan.
/ it was not my purpose to engender strife be-
tween the farmers and workiagmen, the capital
lists, merchants, or any other shade OF profess
sion or occupation that we have in our county.
FLeir interests are mutual, and as one prospers
the other shares the Prosperity But when
consider the ilnperfection OF tile road law and
the miserable condition OF our roads under it, ]
feel myself jilstiAable in asking for revision Of
the law, which can be done with injury to no
Class Of citizens in our county.
In the 18th section OF the present law, every
able-bodied man between the age of IL and 60
years, is required to work two days in each
Year.
IN section the supervisors are empowered
" ie'y Tax upon al real ana personal
property not to exceed twenty cents upon one
hundred dollars.
Under this act the board of supervisors made
the 1oiloWing leyies for the first year: Beverly
manor b cents; North River, 121s cents Middle
itiyei', 10; kiverheads Tx cents; Pastures, 10;
South River. TO-
Thus "a Workingman'' viii see that the farm
ef ana tax payer, i'll addition to his two days
work on the road, pays at the lowest rates. 10
celitS on every hundred dollars. II MS property
IS assessed at $500, he pays 80 cents; il at Sl0G0
he pays $780, &c, according to the assessed value
OF his property.
1t is notthe object of the farmer to complain
o. these taxes, but we do most emphatically conf
hiain OF the way they are expended. In addf-
ton TO the two days labor made obligatory upon
every able bodied man, 5th section of the law
empowers the overseer of roads to employ such
number of laborerS, teams, wagons, carts and
ploWs as may be necessary, and a Just allow
ance shall be made for the labor, teams, plows
and implements which they have hired. And a
days work shall be fixed at 10 hours. Do these
teams, carts, &C.. perform 10 hours service each
day for which they get pail?
Ihave no statistics OF the assessed value of
property in Augl,sta county. nor win presume
to approximate. but it is the opinion of many Of
the farmers that the money alone. without the
two DAYS, labor if propar.y expafldeI would
keen the roads in better condition than they are
kept.
KNOW of no farmer who does NOT Willingly
worn, his two favs ma nav his ron fax Neitfe
do know ..a worsinynanr in NV. community
who counlains of tia ,itfanca he srives in mis-
way to his countv,s i,nnroven1eut p,bIic spir,it
to ,a,.forn, ,ig;,,t in t,. +,,at
ha IA bas On, ;r+aras+ IL, common With an f4l,a,.s
,,,e 80 ne a,o ~. ~, ,o,, ~, NO ea,.,,,.s Iva
feels that pa bai,ad to ,nata tha,n ana keen
+ha,,, ,5is so,,ild,s,, +.,,,, ,,o,, . ZOO, -,