Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1920-10-28
FAyORS BOND ISSUE.

M no a native and taxpayer OF Jef-
-, county. | cannot restrain my
IsiS from bringing to your attention
se ,brough YOU to the people OF the
suH ,t, the importance OF favorable
49, ;,r the change of the States con-
NU.T .;.r,C1 on November I'd. Much that
s been said and written on this
hs,ior is so foreign TO the actual
w. that il is difficult for the voter TO
iIa'.s--,ine the merits of the issue and
-. he should vote. The natural
..s,1 being in such cases to vote in the
usrS,iye therefore feel that this
nrsi nvsss,ion should be clarified, for it is a
~ simple one, though a momentous
s w. to the people of the State and
T"ssrson county. 1t will mean wheth-
). the State and the county are TO
s.osress and develop as they should,
- + the people shall still tread in the
rn,s and mud such as burdened our
sorsfathers and under which they are
still laborng today.
The question to be decided is: Do
ron wish to give the Legislature the
.,;gbt n issue bonds for the improve
ment of your highways, the gross
gmoIInt of which outstanding at no
fine, shall exceed fifty million dollars :?
That is the question stripped OF all
the show window dressings and mis-
presentations that have been made.
We all know that the entire fifty mil
linn dollars will not be needed. All
discussion as to how these bonds will
he issued and where the money is
coming from is purely speculative, and
anticipating the action OF the LegiS-
lature. II may be raised by tax on
gasoline, an increase in motor license
fees or a direct property tax; but |
want TO say regardless of how this is
sue is provided for they will render a
great service no their country and
State BY voting in the affirmative on
this question. 1t will return fourfold
for all that it will cost.
Now. let us go into the details of
exactly how this whole subject will af-
feet Jefferson county, and look the
matter Sguarely in the face without
prejudice. There has been designated
in Jefferson county a system known
as Class A roads, consisting of seven
y-One miles, and you can count on
these roads being taken over as State
highways. Under present arrange
mentS the State, using the automobile
license fees and a fund provided by
the Federal Government, contributes
10 the county approximately half the
cost, more or less, for the building of
these highways. In Jefferson county to
properly build the seventy-one miles
will cost one million four hundred
thousand dollars, half of which would
have TO be paid by the county, or some
thing like seven hundred thousand dol
lars. In addition to this, under the
present system the county would have
to raise at least five hundred dollars
per mile per year for maintenance, or
approximately thirty-fiye thousand dol
lars annually, which would have to be
raised by direct property tax in the
county, TO take care of these high
ways. This plus the interest on the
seven hundred thousand dollars would
make total of something like seventy
h'e thousand dollars per annum that
lne county of Jefferson would be. re-
CURED 10 raise annually by direct taxes
On all property, plus sufficient
amount to create an annual payment
10 pay OIL the bonds within twenty
hVe 10 thirty years.
lhIS would consume all the road
moneys raised and would not leave
~ 'ne districts any money 20 maintain
ue other county roads. In my iudg-
Meht' such financing would cause an
enormous tax to be placed on all prop
.Iy oi the county, and in time would
pauperize the people to such an extent
Lt nlat all development of the roads
iHn hnoEn as the county market roads
,Sauilg out of the farming districts
, sou!a De impossible, and these roads
nos'a Sufer from lack of maintenance
as asa Uecome impossible, which would
.nsel not only the farmer, but the town
''iC eIty consumer as we'll.
oIea' changes, Mr.. Editor, have
,sn .U."c upon this county within the last
,t III D! hiteen years with such rapidity
s, Us' II is necessary for all of, us to
Slte away the cobwebs, so that we can
ssI VISION of the conditions surround
s m's Us at the present time and what
SSe may expect in the future. In the
bsen b.s VI west Virginia alone there has
SOM Som vI,o.ped during this period
veb;.I "R IKE sixty thousand motor
vbn.. cach using the highways any
s. I"Tn tour to six times as much
,ro "'I Sc; or in other words there
mo- VII. hundred and eighty million
tbe-s "'eS annually travelled now than
,rs rs hiteen years ago, the roads
hi, uG used to that greater amount
f., u1a.Hc IS not confined to one coun-
a.. .' travels all over the State, and
tbH Sure we see that is is the dutv of
caro '' rather than the county to take
rr,. . ms traffic. So, Mr.. Editor, we
io.., -''E into this question not from
fcls ,,. s,,,,n?1point but from ihe broad
tia, ---A II covers and decide il in
tbd tb E me duty of the State to build
rs-. ' p highways Of the STATE can.
Of 49,, coun:v seats ana csrtars
the ,...auon. and the county TO build
the Cc2-I'y market roads, leading from
farrfi--na' rs Of population out into the
can can -, districts, so that the farmer
the "eo ".aIhet his crops all seasons OF
with tbo ana will be in close touch
w" 'llS market opJ b,,s:- --.---