Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1910-07-02
FOR GOOD ROADS
AND FREE TURNP|KES
Movement Inaugurated blythe Mar
tinsburg Automobile Club.
ROAD LEVY MUST BE RAISED

State Road Commissioner Charles p.
Light Addressed Mass Meeting In
FIremen's Hall and Explained Why
Jefferson County Had Better Roads
Than Berkeley--No Conclusion Is
Reached as to the Question OF No.
Toligates.
From The World OF Thursday.
A mass meeting was held last night
in Firemen's Hall for the purpose of
discussing matters relating to public
roads and also the question of tolls.
with special reference to both IN Ber-
kelley County. DIR. w. ". Minghini.
president of the Martinsburg Automo-
bile Club, presided and Attorney X.
Poole, secretary OF the same organi-
ton. was secretary. The meeting was
we'll attended, there being over fifty
people there. and much interest was
manifested.
Mr.. Charles p. Light, this city,
Sldlc AOdu IOluHiiaSiOhtt was dAuOuS
those present and took an active part
in the proceedings. He made a state.
ment in regard to the roads Of Berke-I
ley County, comparing them with
roads in other counties in West Vir-
ginia and certain other states Ia the.
Union. He suggested that in order to
have better roads In the county the
levy should be increased. The road
levy now amounts to about $4,000 a.
year, aud it ought, he said, to be rails
ed TO from about s12, 900 to SIS. 600
per annum to properly maintain the
420 miles of roads in the county. To.
accomplish this Mr.. Light suggested
that the County Court authorize a spe-
ciaI election to be held IN August IN
order 10 make the fund available this
fan.
This matter, however. will be look
ed into by the Auto Club before it Is
decided whether or not to advise such
election or not and then report to a
public meeting to be held mex We'd
nesday evening in Firemen's Hail
In comparing Berkeley County
roads with those in Jefferson County
it was pointed out that Jefferson beats
Berkeley all hollow. Several causes
were assigned for this. In the first
place Jefferson has an experienced SUI
peryisor who understands the science
of road building, and his business Is
to see to it that roads are made prop
erly and not in any slipshod manner
Having a uniform system Of road
making Jefferson County also raises
500 per mile per year for road
maintenance, while Berkeley County
only raises from 81 to So a mile per
year. The reason for good roads in
Jefferson is very plain.
The matter Of tolls was then taken
UP and pretty thoroughly discussed. AL
couple OF the four turnpike companies
will be asked to reduce the toll rate.
tween automobiles and vehicles that
are drawn by horses, owners or users
OF the former now being the sufferers
from excessive tolls. While the toll
rate for automobiles on the Williams
port pike Is but one cent a mile, on
the Winchester pike II is 3 and 4
cents a mile. Then again it was stat
ed that the Tuscarora and Dry Run
turnpikes both charge automobiles 10
cents to go through the gates regard
less of the distance they go beyond.
This the local club and other aaftoists
object to. The Auto Club also objects
to paying the turnpike companies a
profit for dividends to the stockhold-
ers, but are perfectly willing to pay a
reasonable toll for the maintenance oil
the turnpikes. but no more than that,
The matter OF abolishing tollgates Isl
another question. While 1t was dis
cussed at the meeting last night no
definite conclusion was reached. The
county owns the majority of the stock
Of the turnpikes within its bounds,
and II the county were to take over
the pixies and do away with me toll
gates, making them free highways as
many contend that they should be,
then the revenue for their mainte-I
nance wou,d have to be derived form
an increased road levy. One promi
nent member of the club said last
night that 1t would be better TO pay
a reasonable toll than have the pixies
no better kept Up than ordinary coun-
try roads, which might be the case
eventually IL the tollgates were re-
moved.
This question, however. as Well as
other road matters. will receive fur