The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1907-01-24
WORK OR CASH---WHICH?
The Townships Of Ayr, Bcihei, and
Wells VIII Vote Upon the Question
of AboIishing the Work Road Tax
AT THE COMING FEBRUARY ELECTION.

by reference TO notice else.
where in this paper, it may be |
seen that the voters of the :own.
ships OF Ayr, Bethel, and Wells,
will determine at the February
election, whether they desire to
abolish the plan of working part
of their road tax out, or paying
the same in money.
A provision in Section ,, of the
Act of 1905, says, THAT any
township may, by majority vote
of the electors thereof, at the
February municipal election, af-
ter thirty days prior notice there.
of, change the system of taxatlcn
for working the public roads.
Such election shall be authorize d
by the ,urt of quarter sessions,
upon petition Of at least twenty.
five taxpat ers of said township;
and any township, which shall
have abolished the work tax, shall
annually receive from the State
fifteen percentum of the amount
of the road tax collected in SAID
township, as shown by sworn
statement Of the board of towr..
ship supervisors, furnished to
the State Highway mission.
er on or before the fifteenth day
of March IN each year.
In accordance with the above
provision, petitions from the re.
quislte number of citizens Of the
townships named, presented Pc
titions at the January term of
court, and Judge Swope ordered
that an opportunity should be
gwen the voters of those town.
ships TO decide whether or not
they were tired of working on
the road.
That there is "screw loose"
in the machinery of road making
in Fulton, as well as IN many 9th.
er countie; of the State, has long
been apparent TO every thought
fui observer. This county has
spent thousands and tens of
thousands of dollars Cor the I'M
provemenG of Its public roads
to be more eXact-more than ten
thousand dollars is spent each
year, and the truth of the matter
is, that the roads are not in as
good condition now as they were
twenty years ago. There are,
here and there, some pieces of
nice work, but they are the ex-
ceptious. And the roads will not
be any better in twenty years 10
come, If the system of working
out the tax is followed.
A bright active man will take
on the road ten men who are will
ing to put in as many hours, and
work with the same fidelity that
they would if they were employ
ed in the harvest field, or public
works, and accomplish more than
the ordinary super visor does
with two dozen boys and old men,
the former without experience,
and the latter without strength.
There is not one farmer in Full
t)n county that would pay dol.
lar day for help on his farm and
be satisfied with the quality of
the hands on the road and with
the work they do.
According to the latest official
report, Fulton county has GIG
miles of public highway, and
spends $40, 0,64935, which is over
$l3 mile. Ayr township has 65
miles of road and spends 81, l,946.-
72-more than $50 mile. Bethel
has "a (that seems large miles,
spends 1894 %, which is trifie
less than $40 mile. Wells has
80 miles, and spends $144.90-a
little over $2l mile.
Now, by accepting the provis-
ions of the law, each township
would receive IN cash from tho
State fifteen per cent. Of the tax
levied, additional; which, to Ayr
township, would mean a gift of
almost 5000, and a like proper
tlonate amount to each of the 9TH
ers.
II might be noted just here,
that there IS some doubt as 10
the conshtutonalty Of the law.