Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1903-10-02
From the Blue Grass Valley.


been requested to prepare an
article for publication bearing upon
the questions that have come or
would likely come before the oific-
ials of this county for settlement,
and hope to have a reply from all
the candidates-the old officials
this next week and the new candid
ates the week following:
We shall rot be personal and
hope to have a full and free eX-
preston of your views and transac-
tons before you have a right to
ask for our suffrage.
Every farmer or business man
in the county when he buys land,
cattle or merchandise expects to
nav for it, and wouldn't think of
. leaving the debt for his children
or children's children to pay; SO it
is with orr county debt, this gener-
alton made it { a very foolish thing)
and are morally bound to pay it
before the rising generation repudl-
ates the whole thing.
The county has been and will
likely continue to be in a prosper,
Gus condition for several years, and
if we expect to paw this debt, now
is the time to begin.
Last February we made 1t our
business to ascertain the views Ot
the county officials in regard to an
increase in our taxes for free school
purposes and found that all save
one, we're really opposed to it.
Messrs. Revercomb and Chew
have thrashed out all the senationalS
features but we will add that our
Board of Supervisors killed the
"speed measure" before our petit
tions reached the senatorial sane
tum by making the county levies
In February instead OF June as
usual.
We will get no increase during
the next two years unless we elect
Supervisors pledged to make such
an increase.
Everybody seems to know or
think our free school system needs
a decent burial or a resurrection by
taxation and to lay blame on our
officials would be lying to our own
conscience, for we know many of
our school keepers" only teach
"half time and half way" and
should be glad to get "half
paw"
The school board this year has
repudiated what our trustees did III
several places last year, viz: They
built school houses last year where
they couldn't make an average OF
--more' than six, this year they have
closed the doors indefinitely where
they can't make All average of ~
pupils. There is plenty room for
Improvement with the money we
have il men who are really inter
ested in free schools were manag'
ing the affairs.
We have great deal of COM
plant about our Board of Supervi-
sors being too lax in enforcing
road men to comply with their con-
tracts: and in several Instances
there has been charges of graft
and we know of Road Commission
ers reporting roads up to specifca-
tions that they had never gone owe,
and contractors Boosting that they
were lin the ring" and would get
this pay while others have made
Slb per mile on whole sections.
There has been too little perma-
nent work. and too much useless
patch work and extravegant ex-
penditures made on the pike and
county roads in the last few years
and we hope the new Board will IN,
augurate Il new policy to this end
that we may have better and safer
roads hereafter.
In connection with the above
subject we would like to have an
EXPRESSION Oh the stock law as
regards the running of stock upon
the public highway.
We wish to have your views up
on the dog tax law
Whether or no you would be i'll
favor of disseminating the pay
meat ct premiums on scalps, etc.
and allow a similar amount to be
raised for school purposes?
We have hauled our officials over
the Goals, hut they deserve to be
highly commended for what they
have done in the way of improve
ments on the County Farm, They
have shown what can be done
when You 60 at it in earnest a nd
we all feel proud Of what has been