The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1897-02-09

er the cost before authorizing work,
writes z. h. Hartwell, OF New Jersey.
In this township, thers are fifty miles
OF roads; the usual appropriation for
opening and repairing roads, shovel
ing snow, ETC., is $500, or an average
of S26 per mile. Some stretches of
road average more than S26 per mile,
| Others less. With this small outlay,
the majority of roads are in much bet.
ter condition than they were twenty
five years ago.
Farmers, being the one class of tax-
payers who cannot escape paying the
tax for building stone roads, figure as
follows: Ono mile of stone road costs
about $4,000, or a sum equal to the as
SCISSORS list. TO build one mile of
stone road would double the tax rate.
Or, the interest on the cost of one
mile of road weuld be, at fveper cent,
$500. Experts estimate the cost of
keeping stone roads in repair at 500
per mile. Interest and repairs would
thus be $500 per year. Such figures
ore appalling to farmers, and they are
also confronted with the fact that the
road bonds of much weather. counties
than the one in question do not find
ready purchasers. Stone roads will
not be built in Hunterdon County for
many years to come, if farmers can
prevent it.
AS stone roads are not probable for
years to come, Improvement by some
cheaper method should be considered.
AS stated in American Agricultural of
| September ~, "this good roads prob
lem must be met" and if it can be
done without bankrupting farmers, oil
good citizens should bid God speed to
the work. One of the greatest OBJ
stacles to better roads in their present
construction is poor drainage. Stone
road builders never neglect the drain
age, even though they lay stone twelve
to fifteen inches deep. Many pieces
OF spongy roadbed may be made solid
by proper drainage. After drainage
is attended to by good side bitches,
and underdrains where needed, the
roadbed should be rounded, SO that
water will not stand in puddles. NY
experience in mending roads is that
on dirt road there should be no mix
ture of stones with the dirt, as such
roads are always rough and
holes will be gouged out and
there is danger of breaking wagons,
besides the discomfort OF bouncing as
one passes along. it is often the case
along streams that gravel can be had
for the hauling, and coat of this, or
shale, on a properly drained road,
will make q solid and smooth road for
several years. Each township should
annually raise a reasonable sum, be.
sides the regular road tax, for per-
manent improvement. There are low
places in nearly every district that
cannot be properly drained, and such
places should be stoned so as to make
a lasting job, and after the stones are
well pounded down they should be
covered with gravel or shale. By
some such means, our roads would
gradually become better, without ex-
cessive taxation, and the work being
carried on simultaneo usly in all parts
OF the township, the cry of taxation
without representation would not be
heard, ns in the case of building ex.
pensive stone roads, for IN the nature
of things under that system, many
men must pay the excessive taxes all
their days and reap no benefit there
from. -American Agriculturist.