Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1910-01-14

oH8lE Atu u oVSM h&O&~@@ w.
We do not know how far the Road
Department authorized by the iaa
Legislature will go in the direction o
giving bealthy stimulus to good road
building 10 West Virginia. The iaet
that the head of the department was
selected because be wanted the JOB aud
enlisted high political influence to give
IL to him was 80 mewhat discouraglng
to those who hoped much from the
law creating such department. But 1t
docs not necessarily follow that man
selected fer = public place BY political
influonse and TO serve political ends
can not 10 time develop some aptitude
for the duties of the position to which
he fla. been appointed even though he
nay have but mesgre qualifications
al the beginning. We therefore have
hopes that the good roads movement
In West Virgins may not be serious
~ handicapped by the methods Of the
appoint mer,l Of the fret State Commls-
sioner o. Roads, aud that the senti-
ment 70, the construction aud maiDte-
nance OF frst-class throughfares
throughout the State Will continue un-
sdated until the people realize that
there il more efficient system of road
building than we lave ever bad IN
this State that the enormous sums Of
aoney now annually wasted IL follow
ing antiquated and practically useless
methods should be applied in modern
scientific road building until each year
will see d portion Of our highways
permanently constructed on standard
basis. or course this cannot be done in
a day. 1t will be the work Of years of
continuous effort. Whatever we DO
should be done IN accordance with a
plan that has for its ultimate object
the unilcstion of a series of counties
in general system. Good roads in
Marion county, to illustrate, would be,
OF course, of great local benefit, but
bow much more valuable if by concert
ed action such good roads were extend
ed into System that would bring one
line at least of such system from West |
on through the counties of Lewis, /
Harrison, Marion, Marshall and Ohio
INTO Wheeling, with lateral lines that |
would connect INTO it, with equally |
good roads, the counties of Mononga-
ia, and Tayler. This was the idea that
was at the bottom of the old Virgin ia
system, and in its day, hat
system, solved in fairly satisfa Glory
way methods of communication and
between different Sec
ion Of the State. These main lin es
should have the centralized impetus
and guidance of the State if results are
% be steady and uniform, If left to the
alone, they would be titfal
and more or less like patchwork. The
might properly be left by
ocal taxation to improve and main
Jain their purely county systems, but
A higher authority should undertake /
the management and construction of !
the inter county roads. We therefore
believe that the action of the last Legis-
lature on this subject was q wise one,
and if followed out by still more pro-
stops much good will result
The building of few good lines |
through series of counties will in
spire the local authorities In such coun-
lies to bring their roads up to the
set by the central builders,
and without much increase of taxation |
u time, instead of having about the
worst roads in the county West Vir-
yinia will be in the front of the States
aaving creditable road systems. Fair
mont Times.