Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1899-02-16
PLEA FOR BETTER ROADS

PLEA FOR BETTER ROADS
Mr.. Editor-I know your reader
will be disappointed if your columns
do not contain the usual annual sprln.
complaint of b I'd roads | dare say
this complaint is - general, that there
is not man in the county that has no
on one or more occa.io ions grated hi'
neighbor with bad roads; is not this
true? 1t is truly condition and no
a theory that confronts us. We shoulo
therefore cease complaining, and take
the time for the application of rem
edy. It is not only a fact that oul
roads in the county of Augusta are
bad, but it is the more startling when
we reflect that they are worse today
than they were last year, the year be
fore; worse than five, worse than ter
years ago. At this rate. whist will be
the condition of our roads five or ter
years hence9
Farmers and taxpayers, this 's an
| important question to consider. Il
therefore, invite your thoughtful at
tention.
That our county roads are now bad
and each day growing worse is fact
patent, plaintive and potential. Now
then is it wise. is it prudent, is it busi-
ness-like to go on from year to year,
from time to time and from bad to
worse without doing something to bet
ter the condition of our public high
ways? You must not content your
self with saying, "Oh, we can't do
anything" 1 wish to assure you there
is no difficulty in this matter so great
that it cannot he overcOme!-there is
no condition without remedy. Now
I wish your thoughtful attention in
order to give you what in my opinion
is the remedy. First, l will call your
attention to what l believe are defects
in our present s, stem of maintenance
of public roads; should say our lack
of system of maintenance, of public
roads. System means order; the words
are synonymous, but when you look at
our roads can you see the order?
First: Then our present public road
system is wrong, i'll that the roads are
maintained by and through the me-
dunn of popular elections; now this is
wrong, for politics never did work the
roads, and never VIII, it is hard work.
Why is it that popular elections will
not always secure competent mainte-
nance of public roadsp 1t is because
the principles of civil service cannot
be applied in popular elections. wish
to emphasize this point, because civil
service means aud etnbodies the single
idea of qualification. 1t is therefore
matter of qualification aud selections
by and through popular elections, for
such work is political and has the
political pulr' in it. Nay, it does
not follow because a man is good in
the personal solicitation of public Office,
that he is capabl- of properly doing
the work of that office. l insist, there
fore, the first st.p toward securing
good roads is to take them cut of the
elections.
Second Our pres road system
is wrong in that large portion of our
road fund is spent Indirectly on new
roads, relocation Of old roads, attend
ant with the cost of land damages,
commissions, commitments, and re-
surveys and resurveys.
costs of suit and costs of construction.
Thus it is leaving the Old defined road
bed for new location, which in time
is again abandoned, and 50 it goes,
jumping from one mud hole to another.
Well, why is this The reason is in
the costs above stated; it will exhaust
almost any fund The remedy is to
grade the roads aud make them sta
tionary where they are by means of a
system of steady, gradual, macadami-
zation. 1t frequently costs as much
to relocate half a mile of road bed,
passing through the system of costs
above enumerated, together with land
damages and costs of construction, as
it would to make that road bed sta
tionary where it is.
Third: The present road system is
wrong, IN that the roads are worked
spasmodlcally or semi occasionally,
here little, thers d little, and no
where thoroughly. This defect lies
principally in the fact that the work is
done by farmers (do not understand
me to mean that farmer is not com
petent. 1 am farmer myself, and
believe them proficient in all they un
dertake), but l assert as a fact thai
there is not q day that farmer car
find nothing to do Oh his farm. A
writer suggested few days ago in one
of our papers that the farmer coul(
work the roads in payment Of theil
road taxes at times when they 'coul(
not do anything else.' Now l diffe
with him most materially and say tha
the time to work the roads is whel
you can do everything else, and tina
is the reason the farmer is too busy
man to do it, for lie must either neg
lect his farm or the road. l, there
Efore, submit that road building de
mands attention at the time when
? is harvest for every farmer. The log
,cal deduction is that the farmer mus
employ men not actively engaged /
, farming to maintain the public roads
and demand that they be worked b
, men skilled in roaG making withOu
J fear or favor to any. This fact is G
! special Importance to the farmer, TO
| when be is busy with his harvest it
| n