Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1914-12-23
The Annexation Question.

Wayne county is again before the
public. This is not a new question,
nor does ii In the present resurrec-
ton offer any new phase or new ar
gument. In Cabell county, in
Huntingdon particularly, there is no
disposition to despoil Wayne coun-
W of It's wealth:est territorial pos
ser sion. Sentiment here, contra. y
to belief prevalent in some sectors
of Wayne, is based upon an entire
| ly different motive and conception
of the case than that which presup-
poses mere self -hness on the part OF
residents of Huntington. Wayne
courtyard the HeraldDispatch,
for obvious reasons, Is not only dis
posed to be fair TO Wayne county,
! but determined to be 1air-has made
1t own condition. Wayne county
officials, in dealing with a problem
/
Ceredo and Kenova, to Catlettsburg
and Ashland, and to a large part of
Wayne county itself, have taken the
narrow view, when they should have
taken the broad view. The preiu-
dicial policy which has led to per-
si,tent refusal to complete a con-
Meeting link of roadway has been in
| violation OF the law of eminent do
main and an affront to public poll
cy. A county, a cily, as a compon-
ent part of the larger community, is
not permitted to neglect a public
Improvement simply because it
might be construed to confer a big
ger measure of benefit upon the
community at large than upon the
immediate subdivision charged with
financial responsibility. And the
policy which dictates refusal upon
such grounds is inimical to sound
citizenship and detrimental to the
general welfare, since it obstruCts
development by forbidding' public
improvements calculated to prove
helpful for the country at large. If
every local community, if every city
or county in the country took this
view, the extension of highways
would be brought TO a speedy close,
and if this view had prevailed in
the past we would be but An aesemb-
lage of isolated and unconnected
communities with civilization a
century behind what it is today.
The Ceredo Advance, in discuss.
ing this question, hits the truth
when it asserts that, if the Wayne
county officials desire to avoid dis.
ruption of the county and annexa-
ton Of large part of Ceredo dis
trict to Cabell county, they must
without further delay proceed to
make the roadway which is the bone
of contention, and TO confer upon
Ceredo district the benefits to
which it il entitled by right OF its
wealth and the quantity of its taxes.
A continuation of the present line
of policy, the Advance asserts, will
inevitably lead to annexation.
The time will come, in any event,
when Ceredo, Kenova and the whole
community lying between Four
Pole, the present western BOUNDARY
Of Huntington, will be built into
compact city. Already this is prac.
tically true, and it is also true that
this whole region has already be-
come community whose interests
are identical. When the city con-
dition prevails, it will matter little
to Huntington whether its city
boundaries lie within two counties
or within single county. But the
presumption is that with the coming
of that condition and its coming
will not be long delayed consoli-
dalton of county 6scsl interests a.
well as of municipal fiscal interests
will naturally, if not necessarily,
follow.
Mean while, q broad and friendly
spirit should prevail. The road way
must be built by some authority.