The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1899-03-01
Good Roads.

the signature of the Governor to
make it a law. This is probably
the most important bill that has
been OF will be passed by the Leg
islature at this session. The bill
adds to Section 26 of Chapter 43
of the code the following:
"The county court of any coun-
ty may permanently improve, by
the use of asphaltum, brick, stone,
granite, block, or by matchmaking
or other process of equal merit, the
main county roads within their
county, and may contract therefor
with any contractor for the use of
any of these foregoing systems and
take "bond and security from any
such contractor for the faithful
performance of his contract. They
may pay for the work done under
such contract, in whole or in part,
out of the county treasury or by
issuing bonds or other evidence of
debt for the same. In case the
payment is to be made by bond,
the proposition for the issuance of
said bonds, must be first submitted
to the legal voters of such county
at general, school or special cleo
ton, and tho proposition must re-
ceive three-hfth (3-5) vote of all
the votes cast at such elections,
which election shall be called, held,
conducted and the result ascertain
ed, bonds issued and provision
made for the payment of principal
and interest provided for in the
same manner as is required by SEQ
ton "a of Chapter 80 and of Sec
tions 81, 80, 50 and 60 of Chapter
"a of the Code of West Virginia.
"The county court may also en-
ploy three road commissioners, one
of whom must be an efficient and
duly qualified civil engineer, whose
duties shall be to superintend the
construction and improvements
made upon tho roads under the
provisions of this section, and
make reports thereon, from time
to time, as the county court may
require. The engineer commits
sioner shall receive not moro than
five dollars per day, and the other
commissioners uot exceeding two
dollars per day to be fixed by the
county court"
The building of Macadamized or
other roads provided for in this act
will be boon to farmers, as it will
be great saving to them in trans
porting the products of the farm
to market. Otto Dorner in an ar
ticle on this subject in the Forum
for February, says:
"The improvement of county
roads-the principal arteries of
commerce and travel-has not kept
pace with the development of trans
portation facilities by rail and
water. The country road seems to
have been step.child of legisla-
lures. It's construction and i'm
provement have been left almost
entirely in the hands of the farmer;
and the rural district is not equal
to the occasion. Road building
requires method and system, con-
siderable Investment of funds, ju-
dicious finanoiering, careful econo-
my, and, above all, scientific knowl-
edge. The farmer too often fails
to bring any of these essentials in
to his road building efforts.
Working out the road tax is gen.
orally farce. Our average coun-
try highways are little better to-
day than they were at the close of
the civil war.
"The present losses from bad
roads in the United States are en-
ormous. Investigations made in
1900 counties throughout the
country by the United States office
of Board of Inquiry, show that
the average load of crops drawn to
market in the United States weighs
2,OO2 pounds-practically ton
varying from 1897 pounds in some
states to 2,4O9 in others. Collat-
eral Investigations of the office,
made through United consuls in
Europe, show the average load of
crop hauled in Europe to be up
wards of four tons. In the consul
lar district of Munich, Germany,
the average load is 81 tons, and in
that of Hanover it is practically g.
tons-a load which n good team
there can haul for an all day trip.