Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1901-04-05
THE ROAD QUESTION.
Does Not Want the Road Law Amended
as Suggestive by the Grand Jury.

DuCo tvoh W ouh tuC nVou Law 0tuCuuS
as Suggestive by the Grand Jury.
= Mr.. Editor:-Being an humble cit
] zen with patriotism enough to alway
take lively interest in the affairs an
welfare of my fellow-citizens of tx
county, and as there are some very in
portant things being consummate
| and perhaps others contemplated an
I as no one else has in public manne
taken any notice of them. a sense c
duty cOmpels me to do so, therefore,
arisA to a question of personal prive
lrge. and will as briefly as can, stat
my points.
, First. About one year ago, 1 under
stand that some one discovered Law
on our statute book requiring th
county authorities to provide a fire
proof vault in which the records o
tae county must be kept and notwIth
standing the many difficulties had d
law placed upon the statute books fol
the very purpose of preventing what
is now being done-the building of the
third court t-hOuse, the cost of which
when completed, and to maintain it,
| we will know I'm the Sweet Bye and
Bye''
1t occErs to me that had the officials
of the county, whose duty it is to
guard the interest of the people done
their whole duty they could have pre-
vented it, or at least, had it done in a
public and legal manner. But Madam
Rumor has it, and some believe, that
those who should have given us warn
ing were giving aid if not the origlna-
tors of the whole scheme. But [ nev-
Ell thought it worth while to "grieve
over split milk" but to be more care
ful not to repeat 1t the second time
Secondly. On receiving your paper
March 9th, the first thing that attract
ed my attention was the charge to the
grand jury by the Hon Lyman Chalk
ley. 1t was with variety of emotion
that | read his charge. l was simply
amazed and wondered if law had been
discovered requiring our grand juries
to present, reYise or frame new laws
an auxiliary Legislature. l was not
in suspense very long for On receiving
your paper, March 18th, 1 see the
charge has borne fruit Our present
road law has been indicted, tried
and condemned On number of counts, |
with the recommendation that it |
DE wiped out, and all that is left to /
Is for the Legislature 70 carry out the |
sentence.
Now Mr.. Editor, do not wish to
be misunderstood on the road ques-
5ion. L am in favor of good roads, l
nave given it my time, / have been road
director in South River District ever
ince the present law was enacted and
lave studied the road question. hon
'stly believe that our present road law
s good one, and that our roads have
,een, and are greatly improved year
~ year, therefore, think we should
arefully study what is proposed as
meudments to our present law. In
ny hum ble Judgment the amendments 7
by our last grand jury would E
ot improve our road law, but quite q
be reverse. c
Let US take the report of the grand |
1ry and consider it seriatum. s
First-"In view of the charge given
y your Honor, we, the grand jury a
tate and present that we have care Z
ully considered the existing road law |
nd in our judgment in view of the de- r
ects, difficulty in constituting its actual t
equiremente, there is little hope of
our roads,
Now. l would like to know if the
rand jury carefully considered our
resent road law in the capacity of
cribes, aud expert road-makers, or
i'd they examine witnesses Had
ley summoned our efficient Common
e4lGh Attorney l believe be could
ave. satisfactorily, explained every
lauss in our present law, for about
ne year ago the road board of South
liver district, with the assistance of
lr Ker carefully considered our road
Nv for the very purpose of making it
lain and define the duties and respon-
Utilities of all the officials, and as
mended was passed by our last legis
ature.
Second-''In our judgment our pres
Mt law should be SO changed as to pro
ide for an efficient and economical ad
In our view it is waste
ul and expensive" In replying to
hat in the South River district the
ost of the administration last year of
he district fund was less than fifty
IOllars. Now is that amount "extrav-
giant or wasteful."
Third-"Under the present law there
ire too many officials subject to no re-
ponsible head" For this objection
;he grand jury suggests remedy-''an
officer charged with the supervision
If all the roads in the county, an au
litor of all accounts connected with
he road administration general su
and auditor. TOO many
,fficers," and the remedy is the ap-
continent of another that will cost our
district three or four times as much as
he present law. "a general superin-
;endent suppose means that all the
work on all the roads in the county
should be done by his orders, and when
;he work is completed, to be paid for
oy bis orders. 1t that is the proper
then he will audit his
,wn accounts and this peneralissjmO |