The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-07-29
TUESDAY. JULY 90. 1902.
LET THE GOOD WORK GO ON.

The Messenger offers its c~ongratula-
lions to the citizens OF the city of Will
mington and of New Hanover county
upon the recent conversion Of the Will
mington and Coast turnpike, generally
known as the shell road, into a public
highway, and to the county commits
sioners it wishes to say they deserve the
thanks of every citizen of the county.
This is one of the most important ac-
tons taken by our county authorities in
many years. When our commissioners
purchased this toll road and threw it
open to h public as a free highway
they made an important move in the
campaign for good roads that is now
being waged all over the state. The
commissioners are to be congratulated,
too, upon securing this good road at
such a reasonable price. Very conserv-
ative estimates place the cost of build
ing such a road at $4,000, and this n
has cost the county only $500. We
nave it from a reliable source that the
county authorities intend to begin at
once to make needed repairs on the
IuIIlplhe 10 "TlSHlSNuIc dAAu VII Il llS
branches, and just as coon as the road
gang can reach this section of the coun-
ty these roads will be laid with phos-
phate rock, so that in 4 very short time
Wilmington will be connected by the
very best of macadamIzed roads with
the various sections of the eastern and
southeastern sections of the county.
Truckers and fishermen bringing to
market the fruits of their labor will
have good hard roads to travel, free Of
cost. and n Of the pleasantest drives
in all this part Of the country will be
open to the citizens of the town.
While heartily commencing this &C
ton of Dur board of county commission
ers, We wish to urge them noi to let the
good work stop here. There are two
other important highways leading into
our city on which tolls are now charged
that should be thrown open to the free
use Of all persons travelling to and fro
between Wilmington and important ag-
ricuitural and trucking districts of sur
rounding counties. We refer to the
road leading into Brunswick county by
way of the Brunswick Bridge and Ferry
rCompany's ferry and causway and the
highway connecting our city and county
ferry on the North East river. These
private highways, which tax every ar
.ticle of farm or garden brought to u
market should be no longer allowed.
Let us look into the matter as it 10Y
exists. The Brunswick Bridge N
Ferry Company charges for passage
across its bridge over Brunswick river.
along it's roadway to the Cape Fear and
ferriage across the latter five cents for
every person. five cents for every ami
NAL and five cents per wheel for We
hicles. A Brunswick county farmer
who wishes to some to Wilmington with
his two horse wagon TO bring Il few
sacks of vegetables, a coop OF chickens
or a crate Of Eggs has toJpay TO get here
five cents for himself, live cents for each
horse hitched to his ago and five
cents for each wheel OF his ago max
ing thirty-fve cents for getting to town
and the same o for his return
nOInc. seventy NGLNS ~ VII Wv
bring his few bushels OF potatoes, his
few dozen eggs or his small load of
other farm or garden produce This Is
a heavy tax N no city with any idea
of progress should submit to its being
imposed upon the farmers and truckers
OF the contiguous country upoa which it
depends for Its market supplies. This
&c I1lln- - xr-nrth
Of farm products coming to our market
and is q great factor In keeping up the
prices of such of those products as are
put upon our market. 1t works an in
Justice to the man who farms or raises
vegetables on a small scale and to he
in the city. No city situated
as Wilmington should allow CT can al
low so heavy a tax to be imposed upon
the producers in the outlying districts
upon whom she is dependent for trade.
A citizen who is we'll informed as to
this country trade remarked to us re-
Gently that a vast amount of farm and
garden products went 20 waste on the
farms or were taken TO other markets
that would be brought here but for this
heavy tax imposed Dy the loil roduS anu
ferries leading n our city
What we have said above as to the
Brunswick Bridge n Ferry Company
applies as we'll 20 the ferry over North
East river. The toll ut this river is
about the same. and across this ferry
comes to u market a greas deal OF the
farm and garden products anothe beef
cattle OF Fender and Sampson
The Messenger unhcsitatingly says
these toll roads should be made free.
public highways. The &utnoriues
should lake immediate steps to make
them such. This action is demanded oy
the interests of the city of wilmington
and of the farmers, cattle raisers aho
truckers who live along these lines OF
Soad. This heavy tax on the producl