The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1910-03-18
THE SENTINEL AND THE BOND
ISSUE.

Last week the American SenLlnel
strongly opposed the proposed plan to
borrow money to improve our roads.
It's argument against the County go
ing into debt was based on the as
sumption that our present roads are
good enough for the farmers. If this
statement is correct, there can be no
dispute about the question. 1t would
be the hight of folly to spend money
for something we do not need. If the
farmers are satisfied with the present
road conditions in Carroll county,
there il no occasion for any one else
to complain, as they are the ones
most vitality interested in the charac-
ter and conditions of our roads.
But no matter how one may view
the question of issuing bonds to Sc
cure the money you would necessarily
use, these facts are incontrovertible,
that to improve the roads of the coun-
ty you must spend money; and that
this money can be obtained in but one
of two ways, either, without borrow
ing money by raising your tax rate
enormously, or by borrowing the
money and raising your tax rate
slightly. We hardly think that any
one would be willing to increase the
tax to the extent necessary to raise
q sufficient sum of money annually to
carry on a systematic plan of general
road Improvement, as it would be
about G5 cents on the hundred dollars,
i'm 4act, very few people could stand
such 9 large tax. The only way then
left. is to borrow the money and pay
ii off gradually, the present as well
a. the future generations-as each
would enjoy the advantages of good
roads-bearing the burden.
But why dispute, as any argument
viii result i'm the same question, are
CIR present roads good enough ? If
they are, 1t Is unnecessary to consider
improving them.
TIE r2ltinel asks do the farmers
neel lard roads % That is question
the farmer can answer best himself;
actual conditions prove, however, that
they are an advantage, otherwise they
I'D never have been built The
most prosperous farming communities,
have the best roads, the poorest the
worst. They surely would not have
gone to the expense Of building them
unless they were found to pay Y?
And in this connection when you
ask do the farmers need hard roads?"
you must not confound the different
character of roads. We hardly be-
lieve you can find anyone who will
assert that the farmer needs the kind
OF road that il being built under the
Shoemaker Act and by the State Road
Commission? They represent the in
vestment Of too much money for the
benefit returned. Practically the same
good will be had from an ordinary
pike which can be built with our 10
cal material, and in addition, we be-
lieve they will last longer In this part
of the State with our valleys and our
hills.
1t Is not however, proposed by any
one interested in improving our roads
to build macedam roads. In fact, all
matters Of that kind, how the roads
should be improved, whether general
Ivy by draining, grading, &C., and pix
ing part or not, would BE- left to the
Commission, which would naturally
try To do the best that could be done
To serve the interests of the people OF
our county. 20 the question, like
Banquo's Cost, will not down, and is,
not shall we bond the county, but are
our roads good enough? iii they are,
and you wish to improve them, you
will have to pay for this work BY
either borrowing the money or doub-
ling your taxes.
And when the farmer H. considering
the question Of satisfaction with his
present roads and bridges, just
remember that they are cost