Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1892-01-29
The Laborer is Worthy of HIS Hire.

Mr.. Editor There may have been
period in the worlds history when men
were so imbued with the spirit of patriotism
as to render free and gratuitous service to
their government, but that period is so far
distant as not to have left a tinge OF the
blessed principle upon the present inhabi-
tants Of the earth. There was time, indeed,
when men made brick without straw, but
theirs was condition Of bondage, and they
escaped from it, even through the shadows
of destruction and death. No one was ever
known TO render efficient service without
the hope of reward. The meager recon-
pense Tor exhaustive, honest labor Is more
cheerfully received than thousands of in
herted treasure. 1t is priced as the reward
OF his own labor-the fruits Of his industry
ard manhood. The poorly paid day laborer
is happier in his comfortless cottage than the
king in his palace One is surfeited with
the abundance extorted from unwilling
hands; the other is happy in the thought that
his home is the product of no mans labor
other than his own.
In the much mooted question Of the i'm
provement OF our roads it has been sug.
gested that there be elected, or appointed,
three men to have entire supervision of the
working oil the roads, and they TO serve with
out pay In my humble opinion, he who
is placed in charge of the working Of our
public roads should be one Of such expert
ence and trustworthness as TO deserve, not
only salary, but one sufficiently large 10
enable him TO give his whole time and at
tention to the work OF course he would
be expected to act in conjunction with the
Commissioners, to make thorough exami-
ton Of the roads Of the county and make an
estimate Of the amount required TO complete
the necessary work so that the commissioners
would be enabled to make the required levy.
1t will be readily understood that one act
ing in this capacity should have the conf
dence and respect OF the Commissioners, or
else his advice would not have sufficient
weight with them TO cause them 10 act upon
il, and his work thus rendered useless IL
! is certain that one fitted for such re-
sponsible position would not be willing TO
ACT therein without receiving salary sufii =
GENTLY large to repay him for the necessa ry
expenditure of his time and labor, and o
one worthy 10 I'LL such a position would &C
| cept II unless he should be confident
that he could return every dollar paid him
| by his county in profitable service.
| AS TO the question Of piking our roads,
/ that Is an improvement which our people
wonld not likely be willing 10 enter upon
at this time with the purpose Of making the
work thorough throughout the county. The
most that could be done at this time would
probably be the pikng Of the worst portions
Of our roads, such as have clay subsoll,
and become impossible in the rainy season
for heavy wagons To raise a road bed with
clay subsoil is not only wasted labor, but
that which is positive injury TO the road.
Such roads should be piked or let alone.
Some of our farmers are hauling the stone
from their fields 10 the roadsides, and these
are broken and spread upon the road at the
expense Of the county, the consequence oil
which is that the roads in this section have
been greatly improved in the last few years
The only objection that could be made 70
such work is that the farmer does not al
ways haul the stone To the point where they
are most needed, but drops them at the most
convenient place. Under an improved sys'
TEN the farmer should, of couse, be paid fol
his stone and labor and required to haul then
10 the proper place.
COmus, Jan. 22nd, '02. Y.