Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1903-07-09

pie ever tolerated.
Ard now, / come down to business.
| proceed to fulfifamy promise to tell
the County Court how they may have
good roads all over this county In
ninety days without exceeding the
usual revenues.
My proposition eliminates, OF course,
the tax-dodging method and at the
same time furnishes substitute that
is as effective and reliable as the other
is spurious aud trifllng It has been
tried and proved in many states and
ia some localities of this state. 1t
never fails to bring good roads. AS
have said, 1t Is not theory but dem
onstrated fact. If anybody can fiud
bad road where this system is in op
GRAFTON | will then, but not till then,
concede that l have failed to fulfil my
proposition. Mr.. Harrison might have
thoughtfully added that although no
county has good roads under our far.
eical system, neither has any county
bad roads under the system which has
superseded itin the more enterprising
states.
Fortunately, in our case, it does not
require any new legislation for US to
put the proposed substitute in opera
tion. If anybody will turn to the
43rd chapter, page 332, of our code,
he will find what is called "The AL
ternate Road LawH-so called because
the tax-dodgers have prevented il
from becoming general system, and
it is made an alternate system, to be
adopted by any county or district Of a
county, at its option in lieu of the tax
lodging system. That is to say, up
on the petition of % voters, the Coun.
ty Court must submit the adoption Of
this system to vote Of the people OF
that County or district fer ratification
or rejection.
If ratified 1t turns down the tax
dodger aud substitutes system the
main features OF which are as follows:
First competent road engineer Is
appointed TO have supervision OF the
construction and repair of all the
roads of the county or district
Secondly, once year all the roads
of the county are sold at public aue-
tion, IN sections of frOm one to five
miles, to the lowest bidders for keep
Ing them in repair for that year. The
bidders enter into contract with the
County Court to keep the respective
sections SO bought by them in con
dition Of repair described by specifc3-
tions that are prepared by the road en-.
gineer and made part of their con
tract. Observation-Disclosures go into de-
tail as TO the form and condition OF
the road bed as fully aud infinitely as
the contract Of mechanic provides
the plans and specifications for build
ing house. The contract must be
executed under the supervision and
obtain the approval of the road engi-
neer or the county pays nothing We
either have good roads or we have our
money. There is nothing to pay for
bad roads The County Court knows
at the beginning Of the year what it
will cost to !have the roads kept in
scientific condition for that year, and
knows il they are not it does not pay
for the promise without the perform
ance. Given an engineer who knows
how to prepare the SPECIFICATIONS for a
good road and who Will see that they
are followed, and contractor whose
compensation depends on the execl-
tien of his contract in accordance
with those specifications and we have
the absolute guaranty Of good road
II we pay for it.
1t has been demonstrated that this
system costs no more, aud in the long
run costs less than the hap hazard
method. Men, under this plan, will
buy section Of road on which they
live 1t costs something ia the first
instance to get into good repair. Aft
er that little attention now and
then 10 keeping it drained will pre-
serve it for for years at small expense.
For instance the best piece OF road,
probably, 10 the state, is that running
twelve miles between Wheeling and
West Alexander. The farmers along
this road buy it every year. They
put it in first class condition; ade-
quately draining every part of it;
macadamizing the fiat places, and
rounding up the road bed at every
point, so that the expense Of maintain
ing it is an insignificant sum each
year, The character of the road en-
hances the value of their farms. 1t
is pleasure to ride on it, You can
go from one end to the other at a 2;40
gait and not get jolt.
But this is only one instance Of
many that the writer has observed OF
the operation OF the system which I'M
der our law we call the 'Alternate
Road Law" 1t is the system under
which good roads have been secured
wherever they prevail We can have
1t here for the asking. IL is the way
out OF the mud. And this is the
proposition upon which | stand, that
If in ninety days after this system may
be put in operation we do not have
good roads all over the county, and
at cost per mile not exceeding in five
years the cost of the present system,
/ will make public Acknowledgement
that burlesque is better than bust
ness method for securing good roads,
Respectfullysnbmitted.
w, p. w.