Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1920-10-07
NEW VOL. 55-No. 40
THE BOND QUESTION.

4
As the election approaches. the dis
cussion as to how we shall vote on the
proposed issue Of S50,OOO,OO OF bonds
TOT goot roads in West Virginia be-
comes more animated. Tho preppnder-
anee oil sentiment in Jefferson county
Us VIC oeneVe. against the proposition,
+ '""uEa tnere are good many persons
MAO would favor il IL they could he
sure thai the money would be wisely ex-
pehac!. considerable number. ton.
are SUI on the fence and are await
lns ruler enlightenment. There ia no
disagrecment that we want and need
soUd roads, but all taxpayers are not
Nnnng 10 pay the price necessary to
secure them.
Ii is charged that those who are ury-
ing the bond issue most strongly are
tne manufacturers of machinery and
materials used in road CONSTRUCTION
VINO want good market for their
pIoauets Naturally they are interest
ed in the mattcr-and VET this is mo
crime. On the other hand, il Is stated
that there is an organized propaganda
against the bond issue which is foster
ca oy the big corporations in West
virginia that will bear very con-
siderable part Of the cost IL the bonds
snaii De authorized. This also Is en-
hrey legitimate, for the corporations
nave as much right to take sides &c
individuals have. In this connectinn
we have received an interesting letter
from one OF our friends in Charleston
eNtacts from which we append here
WIN, as II touches on matters pertinent
to the subject. He saws:
nave Just finished reading last
week S Register, and | noticed that Won
stated you had not yet made I'D YOUR
Inina on the road bond issue. I con-
ciuded after reading your editorial In
Wrne you this letter or course Won
VIII KNOW, without my telling you, hat
nave TO interest in this matter cxcept
such as citizen OF this State shouT
possess, ! nave heard the question
oiscussed a good deal. Only few
minutes ago was talking with ws
cray, the federal highway represent.
atiVe Tor this State, whom have
Known personally for several wears He
rs from Boston. He told me thar bc
anew positively that the large interests
IN New York, Philadelphia and New
england, which hold large tracts NJ
coal land in West Virginia, were using
eVery possible influence to defeat the
uond issue. This standing alone is
nct detrimental; but he went on
!sr'her and sa id that he also knew thai
mey mao employed prominent citizens
~ ~" spread their propaganda through
sentatives are doing and doing well
Another thing can say, and know
whereof ] speak. number of coun.
organizations In this State are eoino
10 ngnt the bond issue, because thev
want TO spend whatever money is poine
10 DC spent themselves. And as 7 have
neard said In this connection. a friand
remarked to me that he would much
ratner nave the S5O,OOO,OOO spent hv
me legislature than to have the
s.nm,. a,,ount spent by hfty-Rve county
QUITS. An argument used against II
10 let the county courts spend their
oan inohey 10 ouild roads, but il does
mona 20 me tnat II any large sun of
.noney Is spent on building new roads
mere Is less chance for eraft 70 ans
body, the Legislature, spends ., ,bao
Of il. ''ues disposed
AnoIner argument ! have heard in
aV1l OF II Is this: From Charleston
Huntington, in fact from CharIeston
no county seat in the State. is th.re
nard-bed road. Each county /, ,h;s
secuon and adjoining Kanawha has q
numoer OF hard roads. the result be
ms that there Is a system Of roajs
~thln tne county, which seems sl,nt
On 10 ITS each individual self, when
.neH neLG should be a system Of roads ex.
"1s NJ throughout the State, paving
should be a hard road ali th. '.a',
through the southern part ~ ths Guy
from White Sulphur through Chsri.s
ION ana on to Huntington. One NJ IN.
poposea roads under the new Sond ;s-
sue would so rur,. ''"u 10
IN my opinion the increased taxat;o,
VIII amount to very little. The in-
creased number Of AUTOMOBILES MI,
Srlng IN much larger revenue
y oeheve that many people who
oppose It do not think enough OF ths
oenehts 10 be gained by the manv. and
CONSIDER principally the amount a.
'aHes lney might be called upon 10 nav
Oh guess fne only reason am writinc
sSer ls euer IS because the talk with the
read;na "shway representative and the
!nat took place within a space NJ th;e
ty minutes. "Se VI 'nir-
Our correspondent makes eood
Soh. when ne says that most peonle
S "oI mink enough of the ben,,st
atnuts soDo Ioaos system and too much
ot. not a,. .ne taxes. We agree that il is
mot peasant to stare a heavy debt
nha m a.e race. On the other hand, think
W ", .as,, comfort and a blessing a system
d;sonsny sy good roads would be. In q
discussion we heard the other dav Il
was stated by an opponent of the bond
10 HSSe Ssd ,nat n II would cost jefferson cpun-
o'o,oO year to secure and main
eaih good roads. This seems out 10
our reach, to be sure-and VET
Wou,anf good roads be worth IL , n
would amount to three nr fo,,. ~