The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1892-03-29

people of West Virginia today is
how to get good roads. While the
railroads are of incalculable value
in developing and building up the
portions of the State through which
they pass, their tendency is to pro-
duce cities and towns rather than
to help the county districts. The
State needs railroads, but it needs
country roads more West Vir-
ginia's wealth, her coal and timber,
her farming lands, all her resources
are back in the country, in most
instances far from railroads and
water courses, and difficult to de-
velop. The construction of good
county roads throughout the State
would benefit every class of our
citizens. The capitalist who owns
his thousands of acres of wild lands
would be able to develop them, the
farn, 81 who Raises on q email tfseI
a little more than he needs for the
support of his family would be en-
abIed to transport his supplies to
market. 1t would bring prosperity
to the country and cause it TO thrive
and flourish. People would be in
duced to live in the country and
our Slate would be filed with that
sturdy farming class that strength
ems any State that provides good
roads for its citizens. The cities
would be benefited as much as the
country, for any city that has a
thriving farming community back
of it Will prosper, and any farming
community with good roads will
thrive. The advantages and the
necessity of good roads few will
deny. The only question is how to
get them. Lawrence county, our
neighbor across the river has just
issued bonds TO the extent of $780,
600 for the improvement of county
roads. Such an amount spent in
Cabell county would in few years
be repaid by the natural increase
of taxable property, besides adding
in the meantime and for all time to
come to the business prosperity of
the city and county.
In New York the State is consid-
ering the subject and a bill is now
before the legislature.
The bill provides for the creation
of board of commissioners of State
roads, to whom are to be entrusted
the construction and maintenance
of State roads outside of cities and
incorporated villages. 1t also pro-
vides for submission to the people
of law authorizing a loan of ten
millions of dollars for paying the
cost of such roads, and directs how
the money, if the loan is authorized,
should be spent. The roads are
either to be graded or laid out by
the State engineer, and part of the
work is to be done by contract, and
all bids are to be passed upon by
the commissioners. The State roads
contemplated by the bill-excluding
cities and incorporated villages
are those to connect the county
seats of adjacent counties or other
points of greater Importance, and
are to keep the lines of existing
roads as far as that may be practic-
able. The tenth section revives the
custom which once obtained in
many States before the penal system
abolished convict labor on the high
ways. 1t provides that, as far as
may be practicable, part of the work
on the roads shall be done by the
convicts in the State prisons, peni-
tentiaries and jails, reinforced by
the labor of tramps and paupers
supported at the public expense,
under such regulations and restrict
ions as may be agreed upon between
the commissioners and the superin-
tendents Estate prisons, and only
those roads not made by conyicts
under the supervision of State off,
GERS are to be contracted for and
built by labor engaged and paid for
by the contractors who have under
taken to build them as specified by
the commissioners and in the man
ner and on the lines laid down by
the State engineer. - Huntington
Advertiser.
@Look here, Matilda" said lady