The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1899-12-22
The Road Question.

| MIR. EDIToR:-In reference to our pub
lie road system, fully agree with MIR. F.
S. Hill, in your issue of December 18th,
that it is time "to devise some better sys-
tem," and of which limited in an address
to my colleagues, upon the termination of
our judicial career. pass over the sug-
gestion of dropping two County Commits
sioners, because / have not thought, here
tofore, that five were toe many for the
| size of our county, with the vast amount
| of business to be transacted. Under pres
ent conditions, they are the most respon-
| sible and hardest worked officials in our
| county. This matter should be fully,
fairly and freely discussed before the leg
islature meets. II we are going in fol re-
trenchment, let us be at it in a proper and
comprehensive manner. There are other
officials whose salaries can be cut, and
Justly 50. But to commence with the
Commissioners Court, if you drop two you
save six hundred dollars per year, but
am not advocating it.
Let us try system of these District
Commissioners, to be elected by the voters
in the respective districts during the first
| week in April, to serve two years, after
wards at the general election. Give each
one salary of twenty-five dollars, which
would about amount to the per diem of
Supervisor, working five hands. Let them
meet in their respective districts, on day
to be named, within the month of April,
and receive bids or otherwise contract for
their districts Make them responsible
for the roads. No work to be paid for
unless passed by two of them. All petit
tons for new roads and bridges to be
recommen ded by them, and all old roads
and bridges to be repaired by them. In
other words, turn the roads over to the
public in their respective districts, After
the work is done, the accounts to be sent
to the Commissioners Court for payment.
The county will save by this arrangement,
whether you drop two Commissioners or
not The County Commissioners might
be made review board, and have only to
pass certificates, unless protest is en-
tered by the minority road commissioner
from his district, which would protect the
public against any 'unholy alliance be-
tween the other two. As a rule people
will not serve without pay for such work.
You get no pay and a large batch Of cen.
sure.
The modelling of road trustees after the
method of schoo! trustees will not work
as we'll as in schools There you can oc
casionally serve friend or furnish fire.
wood, but we get nothing on Mr.. Hills
suggestion. think, also, where a road is
a thoroughfare from one district to an
other, with comparatively no other route,
leading directly to common market for
these districts, that IA percentage of levy
for said districts might be placed in the
district nearest said market, and perfect
road be made with gravel or other lasting
material. Such percentage might be de-
Quoted and reserved by the Commissioners
Court. When such thoroughfare has been
perfected near said market the percentage
might be carried to the next. | sincerely
hope we may have better system; we
need it, and the tax payers demand it.
J. L. WARING.