Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1903-10-01

september Term Of this Court. A.
d., 1903, beg leave to submit the fol
lowing report:
We have carefully inquired into al
infractions of the law. brought toour
notice and have rendered present.
menfs In all cases where the evidence
was sufficient to justify the same.
We renew the recommendation OF
thcliast Grand Jury that in all trivial
cases in which magistrates have
Jurisdiction, that the same be dis
posed OF by said magistrates.
We find that sections Of the pub
lie roads in some parts of the county
are in very bad condition and we at
tribute these conditions to the fact
that some Of the supervisors have
not respected the law, which re-
quires them to go over all roads en-
trusted 10 their care twice each year.
On the contrary they have under the
direction oftheinspectors, expended
an undue amount Of labor and money
on parts OF the roads TO the entire
neglect Of other parts which they
knew to be nearly impossible. This
we lind. from reports made u us by
responsible parties. TO be notably
the case in the sixth district, where
a section OF very bad road nearly
halt mile long and leading to one of
the public wharves has not been
touched in the two years that the
present law has been in operation
and has now become dangerous and
must become impossible when the
winter sets in. In view of cond;-
tons stated above, we believe the
present law does not measure up to
the requirements of a good road law
and has not realized the expectations
Of the trainers thereof. We there
fore recommend its repeal and the
enactment of a law embracing the
following provisions.
Three Road Commissioners to be
appointed in each election district.
That said commissioners shall
have entire control of all moneys
expended and work done in their
districts on roads.
That all moneys collected for re-
pairs of roads shall be apportioned
in the several districts according
basis OF taxation.
That each road commissioner shall
be taxpayer on property assessed
at net less than two thousand dol
lars.
That no person shall be eligible
for appointment to the position of
road commissioner who is candi-
date for political Office and that no
person shall be road commissioner
who holds political Office.
That road commissioners shall be
appointed by county commissioners.
That every citizen of st. Mary's
county who owns and uses wheel
ed vehicle or vehicles shall pay a
tax of one dollar to be expended on
the roads in his district.
In reference to the oyster ques-
ton touched on by the Court in his
charge TO the Grand JUICY, we will
say we approve the suggestion of
the Court, and recommend that the
working season be shortened by
taking of part or all of the months
of September and April, TO the end
that the oyster may have more time
to grow and so improve the quality
and increase the quantity, of the out
put of the oyster beds of our State
OF course we recommend no change
in the law as TO the Potomac River
that would deprive acitizen of Mary
land of any privilege enjoyed by
citizen7of Virginia-any Legislation
for the Potomac must be joint work
OF the two States.
We wish to call the attention of
the Court and the public to the pay
parties which have come in vogue
with a certain class of our people.
These pay parties are given by
private persons for personal profit.
Whiskey and other spirituousd drinks
are sold on such occasions either by
the party giving the entertainment
or others, who carry it there and
the consequence is that disorderly
conduct and frequently serious riots
occur and trials by magistrates and
the Circuit Courts are the usual seq
uel-- decentralization of the communi-
ty and increased taxation are the