The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1892-09-06
WHAT WILL THEY DO WITH IT.

! very SSueraI DISSATISFACTION Will Tic
present management of the Columbia
and Mt. Pleasant turnpike.
The people who travel it, regard ess
of whether they live on it or whether
their business calls them to pass
over it, are dissatisfied with being
made to pay toll over 80 poor a road ;
and people who do not travel it are
dissatisfied with paying taxes to sup
port convicts to work toll road.
This Is because the system IS un-
just aud unfair. The people may for
awhile endure, but they will always
in time rebel against anything that
is unjust and unfair, and we are told
that some of them are beginning 10
refuse to pay, and others are talking
of doing like wise. Some OF the mag
| istrates who voted for this arrange
meLt are not satisfied with their
votes, and the question will likely
come UP again at the October court.
The great trouble seems to be as to
the way out of the difficulty. TO the
HERALD the way seems Gear enough.
The rOa is too much travelled to be
fire. road. The necessity of the case
requires that the road be kept in BIT
ter repair than a free rad could be
kept. There are two ways out of the
difficulty. One is for the County
Court to borrow the money and put
the road IN first class condition, and
let the toll money keep the road up
and gradually pay off its debt The
objection urged to this is that the
road is run extensively; that the
commissioners do not do enough
work to earn their salaries, and that
public officials never give the same
strict attention to such matters as
private individuals do. These argu-
ments are not without their force.
Another way is for the County to
grant charter to private corpora
ton. In doing this they should pro-
tect the people better than the State
road charter does. They can do this
by separate contract. The present
grades, we are told, are within the
charter requirements. They are out
of all reason, just the same, and no
corporation or individual ought to
allowed to charge toll over that
road until aome OF the grades are
lower.
They can require and should re-
quire that the road bed be put in good
condition and kept so, and that when
ever broken roci- is put on the road
bed, gravel should be put on that
rock A road bed with fresh broken
rock on it, is not in q condition to
charge toll on, and the travelling
public has a right to demand that
they be protected from this.
They can exempt children going to
school and people going to church or
funerals from paying toll, and they
ought to. They can draw up an
agreement containing all these con-
ditions, aud they can find some one
who will take the road under these
conditions. When they have done
that they will have done their duty
10 the public and the public in gener
al will be satisfied.
The easiest way out of the trouble
is for the County Uourt 20 make q
Just, f&r, seukA B&e Ehrd business eOD-
tract With shne corporation - In
dividusl, by which hee Hra%t1ipG
public will get first cIsss eDli road
st all times at reasonable prices.
That is what the people want Some
people want free road, oShers want
cheap road but the travelling public
in general want 3 good road.
One other thing the County Court
should not forget. The people living
on the road are not the only ones in
terested. The general travelling pub
lie have some rights in the premises.