The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1907-09-07
Subscriptions sl.se Per Year, in Advance
SATURDAY. SEPTEMBER :. 1907.
A NEW REMEDY FOR BAD ROADS

a NEW hEMED1 fOk BAD ROADS
The Washington Post under the
caption "A Way to Get Good Road"
calls editorial attention to the latest
method adopted in Pennsylvania in
the following language:
The conservative old State of Penn
rylvania has taken n stand on the sub
ct OF road Improvement that il likely
To cause n shaking of dry bones in other
States. Under the instruction of one OF
the ablest judges in the State. the grand
jury of Venango county has indicted
twenty-four township road supervisors.
charged with criminal neglect of duty In
falling To keep their roads in repair. The
'dlcted men are being apprehended. and
vill soon be placed on trial. The action
al the grand jury is understood TO be
hased largely upon n decision of the
pennsylvania Supreme court. which holds
that road supervisors are punishable by
Indictment for neglecting or refusing 10
open or repair public highway
while this prosecution Of road officers
II novel. and, perhaps. unprecedented. a
little consideration shows that il j. en-
ti,ely reasonable. These men are public
officers, charged with certain important
duties. They have taken an oath TO per
iorm their duties properly. and in many
tates they are paid a salary ~ we'll as
their actual travelling expenses. Often
they are permitted 10 control the dis
hursement of large sums of money. II
this money disappears without any evil
dence OF road improvement. or if the
road supervisors are VIGOROUSLY neglect
ful of their duties. il is the duty OF the
grand jury to iDdict them. The mere
NnlafH IaaW u. Il.
lowed before Is no reason why. with the
awakened public feeling against official
misconduct, il should be followed now -
As The Post says. such plan as
the above has never been adopted in
this country before, so far a. known.
but cases can be easily imagined
where il might prove beneficial and
might result in bringing about a
change. There are in the State OF
Virginia today many road overseers
who, while perfectly honest and up
right. are yet careless and neglectful
of their duties and prod from the
grand jury every now and then would
perhaps cause an awakening 20 the
needs of the travelling public. The
Pennsylvania plan is novel and will
be watched with more than passing
interest by the people Of other States.
We are glad To note that the Bust
ness Mems Association has taken up
the matter of having "A soil survey of
Spotsylvania county. This is an i'm
portant matter To the farmers Of
Spotsylvania as once soil survey
has been made the farmers OF that
county will be able to get valuable
practical suggestions from the
United States Agricultural Bureau
as 10 the treatment and manage
ment of their lands. There have
been a number of surveys made OF
the soils of several counties in this
section, with good practical results.
and we hope that the farmers in Car
oline, King George and Stafford will
avail themselves OF the opportunity
the national government offers. and
have surveys made of the soil Of
those counties as well. They should
prepare and sign n petition TO the
Chief Of the Bureau of Soils. asking
for such survey and have it en-
dorsed by their Congressman. We
feel sure the business Mems Associa-
tion will lend its aid in the matter in
every way possible