Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1922-10-05
ohePhedtown Jefferson Virginia Thursday October eth

'e>N VI COMPREHENSION he law
under which they operate says that
they shall give due consideration TO
the roads and routes designated and
approved as Class A roads and
routes" They have not done so-on
the contrary they shut their ewes 10
the Class A routes that have been ap
proved by their own body and pro-
pose 10 condemn land and build sew
eral miles of entirely new road. The
law says that they shall have regard
TO important cities and towns, facili-
ties and transportation. and CONNER
cial centers. They utterly ignore inn
portant communities and commercial
centers and select route Sparsely pop
ulated and far from important.
We are reluctant to believe that the
commission is influenced BY any other
consideration than the public welfare.
but we are puzzled to know why in this
instance it so entirely disregards the
principle of the greatest good to the
greatest number-why il gives no
consideration to our County Court.
which certainly is supposed to know
more about what the communities
needs are than the men sitting afar off
and who have not informed themselves
concerning local conditions. Ii was
said In the beginning of this contro-
Versy that a certain influential poll
tlclan VINO has extensive orchard
holdings along the pine hills route
was pulling the strings To his own per-
Sonal advantage. 1t has been recently
asserted again that this same gentle
man has declared that no matter what
the people OF the two counties might
90 or say, the thing was fXed-that
no argument or representation would
nave any effect upon the commission.
he seems to be right, for all protests
have fallen upon dull ears. 1t doesn't
go down very we'll, however, with or
binary folks, that the wishes and the
rights OF such a considerable propor-
ton of the people of two counties
shall be ignored in order that a power
ful politician and very limited num-
per OF his associates shall have a
State road along their orchards. The
cost of a road by this route, reouir-
ing as il will many miles of new CON
structlon and rebuilding and an ex-
pensive bridge, will be tremendous
II would be cheaper for the State to
buy out the holdings of the orchard
owners at big price and then utilize
an established road that would not be
so expensive to construct and which
will serve the public needs.
II the commission persists in its
attitude, we suggest to the people of
the communities that are deprived of
tnelr rights, or to our County Court,
that the example of some of our Mary
land neighbors be followed. The
Maryland State Road Commission or
dered the improvement of certain
road in Frederick county as a State
road. Twenty-seven farmers and res
idents of the county objected, on the
ground that public convenience had
been ignored by the commission, and
that the location was contrary to
reason and justice. The commission
refusing to change its decision, the
professors went into court, contend
ing that the improvement should be
made to another road, an old-estab-
lished highway that would cost much
less to reconstruct and which would
accommodate many more persons than
the route named by the commission
The commission filed a demurrer to
their bill of complaint, but the court
last week overruled the demurrer, Civ
ing victory to the people. The COM
.niTsicn has ten days in which to file
an answer, but So far the court is sus-
ta:n'1g the people who claim that
'he'r rights are disregarded Our
own Jefferson county people doubtless
nave tie right tn 90 into court, as our
! :y:ari neighJor nave dcne, and we
III th!t the. v do We to protect
. erse yes ~"2ir an inj' 7ti-e that is
% a-p, n: ID whic,l will Il so cost
~.