Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1911-10-05

methods OF road construction and
maintenance is to be dep1ored.
The decision to discontinue the
present enlightened system being
so intelligent1y worked out by
Engineer James K. Hendricks IS
retrogression of the worst and
most expensive kind.
No one thing has done more to
advertise Jefferson County and
enhance the value of her lands
than her good roads, still far
from pefect considering the ma
terial and facilities available,
We hold no brief for Mr.. Herr
bricks, and have not even discus
sed the matter with him, but feel
that he will be sustained By his
fellow colntymen in his stand
in refusing, for pittance, to as
sumo the onerous and, responsible
duty Of bringing Jeffersons roads
and bridges to. the point OF per-
feotion they have been attaining
under his control, when the ourt
decided to return to the antiauat-
ed if not discredited system Of
district management.
The Commissioners NAV. have
been sincerely actuated by mo-
tiyes of economy, but the results
will show that the relapse will
result in saving at the. spipot
but wasting at the bung hole. z
However able they may be
along other lines, what, for in
stance, do they know of complex
bridge construction problems on
which theymay be called to pass ?
The county could ssasify lose
five times the engineers salary
on one bridge contract alone, for
lack of expert knowledge.
We are not hide bound in q
partisan sense to! the extent that
we feel compelled to endorse all
legislation enacted BY the party.
and Believe that the abolition Of
the State Hig hway Department,
organized en- the lines adopted
blythe most progressive states.
before If had been given a fair
trial, and yet was seemingly maxi
ing good; was a mistake, and If
peanut politics entered into the
matter, so much more regrettable
is it.
TO stop a great economic re-
fprm i'm order to provide petty
patronage to- political workers
would be unworthy of any State
Legislative body, and for acounty
to prevent the contamination of j
scheme of road improvement, as
originally planned, and interrupt
it4t the critical stage BY rever-
sion to discarded methods is moi
to the interest of the tax payers.
Engineer Hendricks is trained
in his profession, has put his
heart into his work, and has
made conscientious effort to bet
terAd road conditions along
scientific lines, as for instance
by raising and afehine the road
centers So as to cause drainage to
the side bitches instead Of
toward the middle Of the road
with consequent rottinr.
Most people now regard the
thank,Ypp mann = cross drains as
relics Of the stone age, and the
old patching system as the poor
est kind of economy.
Let us hope that under what
ever system the commissioners
each taking charge of his own
district may adopt, that the
good work initiated BY Mr.. Hem
bricks may be kept up!
Our prediction, is that an en-
llghtened public sentiment will
before long bring about 4 reversal
to our late road system under
scientific management.
LATER.
Since writing the above we are
advised that the action of the
Court has been to elect Mr.. Mar
shall w. Mcdonald Engineer Of
Turnpikes, but to place the care
of the dirt roads of the County ii
the hands Of the Commissioners,
each having the appointment Of
Road Supervisor in his own dis
trict.
Mr.. Mcdonald is a conpe-
tent and well qualified civil en-
gineer, with experience in road
building, and we think the Com
missioners have done well not to
utterly abolish the-present system,
but would have done much better
to have given Mr.. Mcdonald the
same full charge of and response
bilitx for All the roads Of the
county that his predecessor had
than to circnmscr;he his duties
and to leave the dirt roads which
are those needing improvement
most, to be maintained under
other than expert superintend-
ence.
We beSDeak The generous co.