Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-02-10
VASHINGT0NC0DNTYE
Over The Proposition to Build Forty
Miles of New Road.
Public Meetings Being Held in
Many Parts Of the County--Local
Opposition to the Measure in
Many Quarters The Details of a
Great Public Question.
Special to the Register.

Special TO the Register.
Washington, Pa, February 9.-The
proposition of the Commissioners Of
Washington county to build forty miles
of roads, costing over $4,000, under
the provisions of the Finn roal law,
is meeting with great and surprising
opposition. Public meetings are be-
ing held in nearly every township in
the county in opposition to the project;
petitions are being circulated remon-
strating against it and the leaders Of
the opposition are determined to fight
ii into the last ditch.
This opposition first arose in South
Franklin township, the matter being
merely discussed At first, then meetings
were held 10 consider It publicly, and
at these meetings the action OF the
Commissioners was denounced as an
outrage. A committee was appointed
10 circulate petitions demonstrating
against such road improvements and
also to secure attorneys to represent
the opposition in Court. This commit
tee retained the two law firms of Ms
Cracker & Giffin. and Clark & Berry
man. Since then these lawyers have
been at work preparing the opposition
they Will make. ana il is almost certain
that when the matter comes up in
Court a number of other districts will
be represented by attorneys who will
oppose the progress of the road i'm
proyements. Meetings have already
been called in North Franklin. South
Srabane and number Of other town
ships, the object being TO oppose the
tIlun road Law. John N. Murdoch
Esq, OF This place. has been retained
by some land owners along the Wash
ington and Wellsburg road TO oppose
ITS construction. This opposition
comes principally from the owners Of
lands not adjacent to the roads which
viii be improved and who claim that
the burden Of this tax will place upon
owners of farm lands in the county.
who they say already have the greater
part or the cOunty's road tax to pay.
On the other hand, the friends of the
new roads claim that the real estate in
the bOroUghs of the county and the coal
lands owned by corporations will bear
the greater part of the burden.
Shortly after the passage Of the Finn
road law the Washington county Off
Gals took up the matter, and the COM
missioners Of the county were the first
i'm the State of Pennsylvania to act.
They at once laid out and had surveyed
over forty miles of roads in the coun-
" which they proposed TO improve.
The longest one is from Washington to
Wells0urg w. Va It's estimated cost
is $4,000. The next in cost was the
one from Charleroi to Bentleysville
costing $2T5S5 The road from Mo
nOngahela TO Finleyville was estimated
at $4,000. The fourth road through
Midway and Candor, known as the
Cherry Valley road, costs s16,536 The
fifth road is the Clinton and Hickory
State read, costing $4,000 The total
cost of the Improvement of these roads
IS $153,4t1. The opposition to the pro-
posed new roads claim that this is an
enormous burden to put on the tax
payers of the county
The Court has fixed Monday, Febru-
airy 18th, as the day for the presentation
of the matter TO the grand jury. The
law provides that this body shall make
a thorough investigation of the petit
tions. plans, surveys, estimates and
costs Of the roads. This means that
witnesses both for and against the i'm
prOyements may be heard, and such
testimony will likely be offered If
the grand jury should approve any Of
the new roads, an interesting time is
expected when the case is argued.