The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1906-05-12
THE PUBLIC ROADS
A Reply To Oar GrahtwoOd Correspondent.

Curlew. Va, May 9th.
To The Free Lance:
With great pleasure | read the article
which appeared in your paper Oi April
- by your GrantwOOd correspondent,
who hippantly attacks me on myerrOrs
which | Inferred from one Oi his preced
ing letters ON the roads and feel salts
fled To say that | appreciate my su-
periOr kindness and courtesy OF obll-
eating himself to rebuke me on my
timidity in his letter, and will endeavOr
hereafter to be- more consummate in
reading his letters.
Your correspondent summarily empha-
sizes Ii plan which he infallibly believes
would be sufficient in curtailing this
unskilIiul and slothiul governing OF our
public roads; but fear my reference is
similar to many of us who think Ne
have some practical idea which we con
cursorily urge along the right track,
but suddenly some impediment presents
itself which alters our course, causing
us To feel somewhat abashed.
do not wish to be fabulous or incOn-
sistcnt toward my junior correspondent,
but it does seems unbcarable for me to
choke down his parallels OF how To
formulate n more adequate and sub
stantial working Of our roads, and he has
assumed the very point for dispute, for
a. he asserts that no one ever saw a
road built without first being rounded
with dirt, and conclusively adds that II
we ever see the roads built in this county
they will first be rounded with dirt
What a ludicrous statement, and es-
pecially stigma on our old mother
State to be impressed with the idea that
out OF our population we are unable
to find men enough who are imbued
with sufficient mental aptitude aud sa-
gacity to know that macadamized road
is not first built by rounding with dirt.
So that is a good road to compare his
statements with to see whether il fits in
or not on building good roads by round
ing them with dirt.
am glad to know my superior is a
native of Virginia am a native OF the
same State, born and bred under our
motto, Sic Semper Tyrannis, and | per
emptorily believe that | am not living
among graiters and surreptitious citi-
zens, amidst whom it would br imperil-
Gus to bond our county for S1CO,OOO To
macadamzs Onr county roads.
Your correspondent states that ih
past assessment amounted To 81, 29I,-
S7S, and as he says, in substance, to tn
thral the county to its full extent Of
value it would not macadamize our
roads. and we have at assessed value
$4,000, then its full value would be
approximately 100000. And why
should we have Is feet OF road when we
are only allowed Is? And az to ex-
penditures on the roads, it is q foreeone
conclusion that we have spent in the
last twenty years $4,000 and the as
sumption is we will spend $50, 900 in the
next twenty years, and we will still have
mud roads.
am not inspired to know whether
your correspondent pays any tax or
not. but ii be does, he is welcome to pay
as much as desires; but don't try to urge
other taxpayers to pay an inaccessibility
tax which would not be Commensurate
in adequately constructing good roads.
As write this letter simply in recog-
milton of the impudent remarks which
were conferred on me, which ! felt
would not be just for me to let pass un,
challenged, so | will he glad to hear
from your correspondent again, but he
will not hear from me soon.
Cecil Warren.