West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1896-03-19
ROAD REFORm.
Some Interesting Ideas Advanced by
County Commissioner Edmund
Messenger.


advanced some good ideas on prac-
tical road working and the taxes
thereof. Mr.. Messenger has been
working and building roads for
almost forty years, and served most
OF that time AS Road Supervisor. so
that he knows something about the
business.
lie claims, and it is true, that we
spend large sum of money every
year for this purpose and get very
poor returns under the present
system.
The greatest farce now is com.
pelling each male citizen of certain
age to Labor" two days on the
county roads Of his precinct. This
work never amounts to much, and
most Of it is simply killing time.
Then the "Road Boss" only works
when he can't do anything else,
and his bill is generally about half
the total amount expended.
Commissioner Messengers idea is
to tax every male citizen in the
county, over twenty -one years old,
one dollar each per year, and let
that constitute General Road
Fund. Then, whatever that lacked
IN each district be made by small
levy, as now. Let this district fund
for road purposes be in the hands
of the Sheriff, subject to the order
of the Supervisors of Roads for
that district. Judge Messenger says,
and we agree with him, that this
dollar per head for the male citizens
of the county would do more actual
good, if judiciously expended, than
does the two days work required
of each citizen now.
Further, his idea is to have a
Road Supervisor for each district of
the county, and let him have entire
charge of the roads in his district.
Let him be elected by the people
for II term Of two or four years.
Let him be required to give bond
to fully cover the amount of money
he is likely to handle in any one
year, and then let him hire his own
hands and pay them from 81. 90 to
sl.25 per day, or more if necessary,
ts get first-class hands. Draw the
money and pay them the cash
weekly. No orders or accounts to
be shaved aud traded around and
speculated with at the expense of
both the hands and the county.
Let the Supervisor get what tools
aud implements he needed and
keep and care for them and be re
sponslble for them. Let him begin
work about April 1st and work the
reads first that needed it worst, and
keep right on till the Road Fund
for his district was exhausted. Let
the Supervisor be paid about 81 so
TO $500 per day for the time act
ually employed. This would prob
ably be about one hundred days each
year and his pay not over 5000
per year, or 81 600 for this whole
county, there being eight districts.
AS 1T is now. and has been, tho
amount paid Road Surveyors per
year amounts to twice this amount
or about So 200 for the whole coun.
ty. The rule has been to have from
i've to fifteen Road Surveyors or
"bosses" in each district, and they
consumed about one-thrd to half
the appropriations for this purpose.
There are at least five thousand
male citizens in this county, and at
sl.OO each fund of $4,000 per
year, or an average of 1925 per dis.
trict, would be raised to start with.
We will warrant that this fund will
do more work under good hands
than all the present system Of two
days "soldiering" on the county
every year.
The Road Surveyors" as they
are called now, although most Of
them know as little about road sur.
veying IS a Hottentot does about
astronomy, are generally appointed
more for political purposes or to
pay for campaign services rendered,
instead o. for special fitness or
ability. This is left to the County
Court and changes are made every
year or Two, and about the time a
man learns something about The
business, some one else is appointed
~ his place 20 experiment at the
expense Of the county, and the
tools that are sought arc lost or