Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1896-10-09

OuA RWAh - eANAt
Its self evident to every thoughtful
observer that our public road system Is
sadly 10 need Of a radical change. Here
ii is now the middle OF autumn, the
roads IN bad condition and the weather
exceedingly fine for all out door work
Che very time when road mending can
best be done and the corps are idle. The
Supervisors are drawing salaries, and az
their respective homes attending to their
private affairs, and the county mules are
boarding at the expense Of the county
Under the existing Law the County Com
nissioners have the power to pass any
road ordinance they please and they
should consider the matter and modify The
present system In the first place, a stop
should be put to the practice Of using
the fund appropriated for enc year 70
defray the expense incurred in another
Every tub should he made to stand upou
ts own bottom, so to speak Eight
thousand dollars are annually appropriat-
ed for repairing the roads aud the same Is
ample ani SHOULD be kept intact to be ex-
pended only during the year for which it
is levied then the repairing done each
year would equal up one year with anoih
&c and the roads generally be kent
ip COED condition. As it is, m-re
mouey is often expended IN one
Ysar than is appropriated, by.
system Of drafting ahead on subsequent
appropriations, oftentimes rendering the
appropriation SO drafted upon too small
30 use TO any practical advantage. Such
Is the state of affairs now: The County
Commissioners 10 1895, exhaussing the
road fund for that year, made a
bideeus draft upon the fund levied for
1896, with the result that but lev
mouths work has been done this year
and that only in the way Of patch work,
because the fund left available was too
small to 10 any permanent improvement,
Another radical change in the system is
necessary, aud it is to abolish the man
uer Of paying tue road supervisors
They should not be paid salary. but
By the day as the hands are paid There
IS no good reason for doing so, aud a
large saving could be made to the coun-
~ necessarily enlar ring the amount TO
be spent upon the roads They are now
paid a salary Of two hundred and hf-
- dollars annually and If they
do but one month Of work, it makes
no difference, they get the same
pay This year they we're engaged
about four months and roceised the same
ply as though they had worked the
usual time Of seven months And
sgain, their pay should be reduced. The
road supervisors soar no higher ia point
Of skill and good judgment as to road
mending than the ordinary hands they
employ Indeed oftentimes they have
not the common sense to understand the
manner even Of opening water drain,
aud whatever good work is done result,
from the superior judgment Of some Of
the laborers employed Why then
shonld they receive higher saleries! If
one dollar per day is pay sufficient for
tie hand who does the manual labor
that sum is sufficient for the road super
visor, who sits on the bank aud sees the
work done without any conception as TO
whether tits being done right or wrong
The low prices Of crops; the depress-
ed financial condition Of our tax payers
demand due consideration at the hands
Of those entrusted With the management
of our local government And they
should see to it that no; dollar is ex-
pended foF any purpose that eat BE-
avoided and hat every dollar necessary
to be spent be fruitful Of the best
results We must have roads; We want
good roads aud to that end the money
tie tax payers are called upon to pay
could. We think, be sDeat 70 better adj
atsge siz months vii now elapse
before work upon the roads will begin
again 10 the mean time our County
Commissioners should cogitate oYer the
sabjest and improve on the present sys-
lem in such a manner as to give the
people better roads for les. money or
good roads for the money expanded
Our idea is .here should be corps for
each ELECTION District, but Of that We
VIII have more 70 say later.
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