Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1908-03-04

fN~fNADH0
the turnpike for hauling their produce
TO market and for carriages, etc, without
cost or the payment of toll, they are op-
posed TO any increase in the taxation for
roads, because THEY have all the roads
THEY want and don't care a d for
the balance of the people Of the county.
To digress a moment from the main
subject, would like to ask the question,
Where di these gentlemen get the au-
thority to give themselves the free use of
these roads; Where is the law for it,
l can conceive of transportation com
pany giving its directors free passes TO
travel over the roads, BUT WHEN 1T
COMES TO SHIPPING PRODUCE OF
ANY DESCRIPTION THEY HAVE
TO PAY FOR 1T. Mr.. Barnett tells me
it is custom. suppose if it had been
the custom to DIVIDE UP A CERTAIN
PART OF THE TOLL AMONGST
THEMSELVES 1T WOULD BE ALL
RIGHT. What would you call this
thing anyway? Is it perquisite of Office
without any authority in law? I sup
pose If some of these gentlemen had TO
pay toll, as other people do, it would
cost them 500 or $25 per year TO haul
their produce to market. II must be re
membered that the State owns three-fif fifths
OF the Millwood pike and two-ifths Of
the Casileman's Ferry and Winchester
pike and these gentlemen are looking
after the States interest Furthermore.
every taxpayer, when he goes up TO the
Captains office once a year, is paying
the interest on a debt created 10 build
these roads.
1t will be found, think, beyond a
doubt, upon examination, that nearly all
of this opposition to road improvement
is by men who have FREE use of the
pixies and those who live Immediately on
or very near the pixies and are opposed
to any increase Of road taxes, because,
as have said, they have good roads and
don't care for anybody else.
Mr.. Gold, when member OF the legis-
lature and it was proposed that the State
aid in the making Of roads voted against
any appropriation for that purpose, and
in face of the fact that it was shown
that sixty per cent, OF this would bepsid
by the cities and towns Of the State.
Members representing cities were willing
TO help the farmers out in this great
work, but Mr.. Colds proud heart would
nave none OF l.: and now that the State
has made an appropriation he claims we
are selling our birthright for mess OF
pottage." I am sorry only that the pot
is not larger and the pottsgc greater
This all shows Mr.. Colds animus 10
Good Roads. His (and Mr. Barnett's)
policy is 10 do NOTHING-to keep in
the old rut and wear IL deeper and deeper
each year. Both Of the geetlemen were
Supervisors for years and one still is.
Has anybody ever heard Of their doing
anything?
Now Mr. Gold tells us we are selling
our "birthright." That seems 10 be a
farfetched idea; it looks TO me as tho
we were just beginning 10 claim our
rights that have been laying dormant all
these years-our right to have good
roads TO haul and travel over-the right
TO make our County the best and most
desirable place TO live in this old Com
monwealth.
Now let US see about this raw head
and bloody bones" that these gentlemen
are talking about. Mr.. Barnett says
that the state law is ambiguous" Whist
/ I la ~ H.
that people can't understand it? Mr..
Gold says that It gives the "board large
powers" That's good; so it ought, be-
cause il places the work in the hands OF
competent men and takes it from the in.
competent. l consider that one of the
best features of the law. They tell Us
that there is $50 miles of road That in
cludes mountain and all. Does any one
propose to pike all the mountain roads
know of many miles Of road on thi:
side of the river that il would not pay tC
pike for the reason that there Is very
little travel over them. | should say
that from 100 10 125 miles would com,
nearer the mark. Again we are tolC
that expensive machinery has TO b,
bought. l supposed these gentlemen
knew we had three rock crushers and
number of road machines Two of tn
crushers could be sold and an engin
purchased; so this great expense 70
machinery becomes dead isiue
Next comes an expensive man TO tax
, charge of this work. There seems 10 b
discrepancy between Mr.. Barnett an,
Mr.. Gold as 10 the pay of this officer an,
= others, but l suppose that would be
! matter for future determination. Doe
- anybody know how many road oyerseer
\ there are in the County and how muc
b they get out of the road fund? Their
. are also four road commissioners, VIII
get SEQ each. They could be dispense
n with as they sre sinecures anyway.
. all this could be summed up, think,
would be found that the cost of thes
! officers would be as much as the salsr
. of the engineer.
Heretofore, the Board of Supervisor
have levied and collected taxes from th
). people and stood by and seen it scattere
+ to the four winds of Heaven without
-, grunt. SO far as | am concerned, and