Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1911-03-10

VINO nave uUGuIuB 3Hu wiz OoeA
know now to get ANYTHING, but can
tell other people what to do and how
to do it." It might be we'll to ana
lyye the interest of this writer in
road improvement to sec If this in
terest il similar to that Of the aver
age tax payer; readers at his letter
would probably weigh it as coming
from heavy tax payer, deeply in
ter asted in county finances because
of his tax dues.
We are informed that this gentle.
man 10 employed as railway mail
clerk spending much of mis- time rid
ing on road built by bonds. when at
home he seems to live near Spring
Hill ON q farm little less than ten
acres. Our county clerk looked UP the
assessment of this farm and found it
listed In another's name and further
reported that the tax Of W. N. Read
to the county and state does not reach
FIVE dollars.
This gentleman probably does his
county travel on the Spring Hill road
which ia being improved by all tax
payers of the county for the benefit
of the few. Now If the Improvement
Of this road we're contingent upon
the bond Issue We wonder il our
friend would 40 violently oppose this
issue.
This brings up . phase which we
believe paramount in this issue. that
is an equitable distribution Of this
road benefit aocruing a. it does from
the county, from the many q d
awarded to the few.
The Churchvile. Slower Shop. and
G-eenville roads have been built. the
Spring Hill. Middlebrook. and road
for Middle and South river districts
have been promised, each beneftting
few tax payers at an equal cost>to
all. Suppose this building continues
at ten miles per year, thirty years
will pass before three hundred miles
are constructed. Orr largest tax
payers being now beyond middle age
may have departed before half that
mileage il acquired bus would spend
the remainder of their life paying
for q benefit enjoyed By few. Aft
all..it 10 NOT roads thirty years from
now that will benefit Us, it is roads
now that we and our children may
profit shonld we or they decide to
sell and not use the road benefit, the
enhancement Of onr property because
Of the roads wonld pay BIZ. dividends
on our investments in a bond issue. I
The object Of equal distribution Of
road improvement seems more nearly
satisfied by building the main roads
at once and giving all onraa people
something for their money. . million
dollars would not. build . road
to every mans door, hut would
result in . system tnat would
directly benefit every property
holder in the county. Continue pay.
ing for .oa1s for the fsv as at present
and in few years it will be we'll
nigh impossible to pass bond issue
OF any method OF taxing the county
to give roads faster to those who have
none. Those having roads at the ex.
psnse Of the county would most like
ly say we have all the roads we want.
We sac no reason why we should vote
q tax on our children to give the
other fellow . road. his road is not
important. let him sell and buy ON some
Of our pixies at our prioe if he wants
to live on q pike. We see NO Justice
in this situation but a tond issue
would insure enough roads to give
to all benefit on the sRr1e basis.
What woulu our country be with
out our grand system Of railroads.
Suppose promoters OF builder. of rail-
roads had constructed only so much
railroad as they could pay for with
cash, had refused to take into account
the future earning power or valu-
of these roads saying they did not
care to entail . debt on the holdings
of their heirs ;the country would have
few railroads, its rank AZ q CONNER
cial and progressive nation, and the
value of the holdings of the heirs of
these promoters woul1 certainly not
compare with the present conditions.
Aud yet conditions seem to show
that money put in stone roads pays
q largsv dividend than that put in
railroads.
We hope the man on tbs dirt road
with NO prospect Of gstting q hard
road under the present system will
consider we'll before voting down q
benefit that he can now enjoy by
issuing bonds. Further, that those
who have prospect Of a road Under the
present system of building will re-
member that they owe the other
fellow for their benefit and in turn
should vote him . similar benefit.
"Oounty farmer I"