Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1908-01-09

COMMUNICATED.

SSe~o eHVuRh ~ your valuable pa
per TO say few more words on our
roads. Do not mistake me. mean
fearful. miserable, 10 ,olerable r. ads.
The kind we have the year round in
st. Mary's. Miry holes, chuck
holes. Quilted holes. holes that can
not be shunn ned. damnable holes.
are the make M Of these roads
water running down the center Of
them for weeks after a slight show
er OF rain embaukments ranging
from one TO three feet high on both
sides, entreuching every downpour
that comes to the road for miles.
These are the kind of roads that
would be termed bad ali over this
universe. but in st. Mary's they
are spoken of as fairly good We
have been blessed with these same
kind for many years, in fact ever
since ] first knew ST. Mary's. How
many good people aud how much
capital have been kept away from
US trying to shun these holes God
only knows Shall / ask, il any
private individual has formulated
plan within the passed year that
will permanently improve and final
ly give US better roads Are the
people getting together, demanding
q change in our laws that will bet
ter these conditions? Certainly, it
Is problem that requires immedi-
ate attention. "Procrastination is
the thief of time" Agitate and de-
mand a new law at once. Consult
our newly elected representatives.
Explain to them the importance of
this matter and insist that they get
to work forth with. Give them to
understand beyond doubt that we
notice their acts and that our old
laws are not unlike hundreds OF We
hicles that daily travel our roads
worn out to the extreme-that we
must have strictly a new law and
one that will not require being haul
ed to Annapolis every two years
for repairs. We are not begging
for burdensOme taxation at all, al
though we are willing to stand our
share if properly and judiciously
spent. Knowing that we are waste
fully taxed, however, we kick, for
saving at the spigot and losing at
the bung is no economy. Paying
to pillow down one side
Of the road aud up on the other for
miles, never hauling the first SCOOP
full of dirt TO it's center cutting
for rods without giving them
outlet; filling holes with brush and
mud instead Of gravel, bats or shells
is no economy. Imagine a greater
waste OF time and money! Is it not
too precious, to hard TO earn by the |
taxpayer too be thrC wn into cutters
in this reckless way?
Where is the $1,000 or IS, 900
spent on our highways in 1912 |
where | told you it would |
be, my dear friends, in a letter to
the BEACON on this same subject |
about one year ago-Out in the broad |
Patuxent and Potomac rivers
We have more mud and holes now
Imam tnen. Money gone and our
tell US they can do no
better. Our Commissioners say
they cannot 60 beyond the law and |
we find ourselves in q dilemma.
Bless it, Nature rights all things
sven bad roads and we will wait
with patience until Summer.
But suppose we help a little bv
the county for as much as
s5O. 900; say, $l5O,OOO. Tax the
dogs. tax everything not already
taxed. Give us High License by
oil means. Tax the whiskey shops |
for nothing less than $500 per snnum.
Apply o part OF this to the road |
fund; the remainder to school fund.
Give US better schools and educate
our younger generation to know
that we require less whiskey and |
must have better roads. This is |
not bosh as some may say. Goods |
roads are essential TO progress.
Without them we must remain in |
the background and our varied in
terests suffer. l know that good
roads are not hard TO build and to
Nv driveway. leading
put and into the public road is one
and one half miles long several low,
Snags must be crossed in
this drive. Fifteen years
ago, the best team in St. Mary's
could not draw more than 1000 lbs
and themselves over this route in
Today, the same team will
draw 5000 lbs or 4 tons easily and
The rims OF the wheels will not be
covered in mud during Summer
Or Winter. 1t is as hard as con-
crete the year round. My neigh