The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1906-07-28
SATURDAY, JULY 2S, 1906.
VIE ROADQUESTION ONCE MORE
I HOLD no brief for the defense of
L the Board Of County Commission

HOLD no brief tor the defense OF
i the Board Of County Commission
erS, but am going to take cXcep-
ton to the somewhat severe and I'M
qualified arraignmcnt of them in last
weeks edition OF the Cecil County
News. The subject in hand was the
oversight OF the county roads and the
tone OF the editorial seemed to sug-
geSt that our brother OF The News had
come near to experiencing a disloca-
tion OF the spinal column. | know
what a strain it is on ones temper to
live through such experiences, because
have frequently felt the strain my
sell by dropping suddenly, and not
gently. into chuck holes that would al
most lose a cart, i'll the days when this
same editor OF The News was super
visor OF a road over which | daily
travelled But let the dead past bury
its dead-it used to come perilously
near to burying the living sometimes;
and let lis come to the question OF the
county roads as they are at even date.
are not in an acceptable condition,
Nobody, doubtless, knows it better
than the Commissioners themselves.
But let us be lair to the facts. and re-
member that throughout the spring
months these Commissioners were
struggling along with an exhausted
treasury which made any expenditure
for any purpose very serious and
difficult problem. KS was stated some
weeks ago, in these columns, the Com
msSioncrS had to either leave the work
undOnc or go out and borrow the
money with which to do it. But with
out thrashing that subject out any fur
ther. let us inquire as to the present
neglect to do the work that is GER
tainly needing To be DONE and to be
done promptly. And | beg to suggest
that that neglect is due, not to the in
difference OF the commissioners. but to
the difficulty in securing labor have
myself, been authorized to look after
the mcnding OF a certain piece OF road
over which daily travel. and am anX-
iouS enough to have ii done. But thus
far have accomplished little work
thereon, because | have simply been
unable to secure the workmcn The
same condition exists all over the
county. With labor scarce at the best,
and with all farm operations compll-
Gated by the trying season, it seems
impossible to get the work done on
the roads which ought to be done and
which the Commissioners are wanting
done. What then? Are we to give it
up? By no means. 1t will never do
to go into the winter with our bridges
and highways in their present condi-
ton, else the county may be subjected
to some very expensive suits. The
Commissioners and those cooperating
with them, must get at the work. and
must keep at it, until better conditions
are achieved. Meanwhile is it not fair
to believe that the Commissioners
may have been embarrassed, like all
the rest OF us. in every walk OF lie, by
the unusual difficulty in securing labor;
and let me suggest that that difficulty
is not going to be relieved until the
county offers as large a wage for its
work as other employees offer. and ex-
acts in return as efficient labor as other
employees exact. And that phrase eff
cient labor" will make many a reader
recall what inefficient labor has been
palmcd off on the county; indeed a
good dead OF the road mcnding bust
ness has been little less than system
attic robbery; and one reason for the
present Boards backwardnrsS in the
road work can be found in their deter
mination to weed out the sharks and
to have the work done by reliable men
or by none. Such a REIMBURSEMENT Of
conditions takes time Give the Com
miSsioncrs chance, and ii they do
not use the chance. give them
THUNDER.