Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1920-02-13
ROADS.

Roads, subject of deep inter
est to the people, is again before
us. The proposition for further
road building in the county was
taken up at a meeting held in the
Court House here on Saturday
last, the results of which appear
in another column.
All of us want good roads and
are willing to make some sacri-
flee to obtain them, but whether
under the conditions that sur
round as now it is wise to appro-
pirate any more money in the
next two years, is matter that
requires a great deal more than
passing thought. In view OF
severe drains on the taxpayers
during the last two years, be.
cause of the war, heavy national,
state and county taxes, as well as
the income tax, it seems to us
that we should go slow before
making these burdens heavier.
Taking for granted that the
taxpayers are willing to stand a
further drain upon thsi pockets
at this time, where is the man
labor to be had to build more
roads than are already under
construction or contract ? The
question of labor is one of the
greatest Importance, in view OF
its great scarcity.
As we understand the propo-
sition, it is proposed to construct
the Hughesville- Benedict road
and the Lothair- Wicomico road
out Of fund of $4,000 advanced
by the national and state govern.
ments, and to levy the sum OF
$4,000 for road purposes by the
county. Of this sum, $25, 900 is
to be used to meet a like amount
for the construction of lateral
roads, and the balance is to be
used by the Road Commissioners
for local repair work. OF the
s25, 900 for construction of lateral
roads, $4,000 is to be used tc
finish the La Plata Riverside ros q
and the balance 70 be used to be
gin construction of some other
local road.
When the construction of an.
other lateral road is begun, which
We presume will be this spring,
there will be under construction
four different roads. So well. SC
good. But where is the labor tc
come from We doubt and doubt
very seriously whether the
roads can be constructed all al
one time, unless foreign labor is
imported here, which we do not
believe, under present conditions
throughout the country. can he
done.
The proposition to raise by di.
rect taxation the sum of s25, 900
for the next two years t. meet a
like amount from the state if it
can be used and used economic,
ally is so well aud so good, but
we are informed that it is pro-
posed to spend about $1,000 per
mile. This latter proposition, we
oppose, as we believe, notwith-
standing the increased cost of
labor, that permanent roads can
be built for less money.
The best way, in our Judgment,
to meet the quota and make the
burden easy on the taxpayers is
to abolish the Road Commission,
which has accomplished little
during its existence and place the
duties of repairing local roads in
the hands of the County Commits
sioners and, at the same time, re
duce the sum for repairing roads
to $4,000. In view of the pur-
pose to keep building lateral
roads in conjunction with the
state, only sufficient funds would
be necessary for actual repairs
in order to make all lateral roads
passable in all seasons.
We believe that under present
conditions that it is only advisa-
BILE to levy, at the most, $4,000
per year, five-sevenths to be used
to meet the state fund, and two
seventies for repair work. The
levy of this amount and the abol-
ishment of the Road Commission
as above suggested, would serve
fully the purposes as far as the
present conditions will permit of
road construction and mainte-
nance. We must be guided by
practical conditions and not
theories.