West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1916-01-06
Anent the Bond Issue

hlngwood district Is opposed to good
roads-but the good roads he faysrs
lead from his own home TO his market
town and the commercial centern OF
his county Few farmers, I opine.
want TO tax themselves to build auto
mobile roads for the sporting frater-
nifty between Cumberland and Wheel
ing, and to pave with brick or cement
the streets OF towns where their veal
thy neighbors live. Nor does ft seem
right that they should.
II II was proposed to spend this
$l64.OO0 In improving all the roads of
the district equally, this matter would
look different to the rural population,
for each would then receive some BEN
eft from the expenditure. But as IL is
now this is not even promised--and we
all know how cheap are words and
how fulfillment always lags far behind
promises. AS has been sensibly said,
this is purely business proposition.
and can not see that IL is good bus
mess for me to vote taxes on myself
TO build good roads for other people
while am compelled to drive over
rocks and through mud on the com
mon country roads that surround me
and my neighbors.
But lifting my eyes from my own
community and looking all over King
wood district, can not see that II
would be good business to bond the
whole district to the full limit OF the
law for one purpose only, and that a
doubtful experiment that appears TO
be in the interest of the few as against
the many-the automobile owners and
bond-holders as against the thousands
who dig in the soil for their daily
bread. Bondage means slavery all
over the world, and this $164, 900 bond
ISSUE together with its multiplied in
terest' would place a burden on our
shoulders and on those OF our children
that would stagger us for two gen.
erations, when added to the constantly
increasing taxation for other purposes
and then there is that Virginia debt
OF many millions looming up in the
near future. Oh, It becomes our peo-
pie to think long and earnestly on
this matter.
The better plan, it seems to me
would be to vote this proposition down
and by delay secure the benefit OF
Portland districts experience, which
would be worth thousands of dollars
to US. They are bound by the order
as understand it, to build concrete
roads and no other. Now any sensi.
bic man knows that on their sleeper
grades these roads will be dangerous
TO the safety of man and beast. Some
years ago Harrison county built nine
miles of this concrete road, and here
Is what citizen OF that county says
about II:
This piece of road has given US
more trouble and expense than ha,
all the other roads. The farmers could
not use 1t, as their teams could mo-
stand up on 1t, and they raised sucr
a howl that the court had to do some
thing so they tarred 1t at a cost o.
$500 per mile-$2.7OO in all--but tina
was not all. 1t has had to be repeat
ed every year since" 4 pa
Does this look good to you. fellow
farmers? Isn't it buying a pig in 8
poke-and paying a devilish big price
for 1t, too!
II is being argued by those who
favor the bond issue that These road.
would never wear out-that they
would last like the old Applan way
built by the Romans And yet the
evidence of experts place the life OF
concrete road at twenty years, pro.
yided liberal sums are spent for It's
upkeep. II this be true, before we
we're half done paying for them the
roads would have to be rebuilt. Thi,
Is too big a proposition, and has too
many sides to 1t. to be rushed through
without serious thought and adeduat,
discussion, You can see with half al
eye that wealthy men and big corpor
ations can save themselves from In,
tax by buying the bonds and drawinJ
the interest on them, while they pa,
no taxes on them. It's a clever schem,
Matched In some brilliant brain, but e
me 1t seems better to vote er dowI
hard" and by petition and election
authorize the court to make a specia
levy for say FIVE years of $4,000 pei
annum-just the interest we would
have to pay on the $164,o0O bond issu,
every year--and apply this sum L
putting the roads of the entire distrlc
into such condition that the regular
levy would thereafter keep them II
fine shape. This. it appears to me
would be doing something for the PEG
pie. and would meet a more hearty
response from our farmers than tn,
proposition TO furnish a link in tn,
sportsman's pleasure road from Cum
berland 10 Wheeling.
Respectfully.
W SCOTT GARNER.
function. W Va.
/ -k-
For Sale.
Store. general line VIII invoice
L from 20 mn 10 90 ron a. t-