Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1922-10-12
THE STATE ROAD QUESTION.

the action of the State Road Commits
| sion IN apparently deciding upon the
pine hills" route for the State road
between Martinsburg anu Charles
Town. The action of the commission
IN insisting upon the route which will
accommodate the least number of rer-
sens, which will cost the most money
ana which is so unsatisfactory in other
respects has caused severe criticism,
ana what seems TO be the commissions
favoritism to those who have personal
advantages to be served is generally
condemned, An influential politician
who owns orchards along the pine hills
route is said TO be supreme i'm the mat
ter-indeed, he is said to have boosted
OF the fact that the matter was fixed
and that no representations made To
the commission will imperil his in
terests.
The commission Is putting itself in
an unenviable position by its action.
To advance the financial interests Of a
few persons OF influence il ignores
that feature Of the law which declares
that in locating and establishing State
roads IL SHALL give due consideration
TO important cities and towns, COM
mercial centers and agricultural sec
tions. IL takes little or no account OF
the roads and routes designated and
approved as Class A roads. Why does
II assume such an attitude?
IL chooses route through Berkeley
county that the county court would
never Tor moment designate as n
Class A road. IL establishes a line
through Jefferson county that our
court would never consider-which in
deed is openly and publicly opposed
by it, Why does the commission sit
ting in Charleston assume to knew
more about our needs than our own
county courts and spend huge sums for
roads that will benefit only few in
diViduals? Why not give our share of
the roads where they are wanted and
where they will be of the greatest
pie?
| The argument that the commission
has chosen the shortest route between
Martinsburg and Charles Town Is
childishly foolish when the small traf-
fc between these two places is con-
sidered. The two towns have but
trihing business relations with each
other. How many persons in Charles
IoWn had to go directly to Martins
burg or vicinity yesterday on bus
inessP How many Martinsburg folks
viii have to go to Charles Town to-
morrow on business? The number IS
inslgnihcant-and yet the commission
Wouia spend an enormous sum of
money for the ostensibie purpose Of
accommodating this limited amount of
travel. II Is not fair that the interests
and the rights OF so large q propor-
tion OF the people generally should be
sacrificed for such limited traffic and
| for personal ADVANTAGE
In another column will be found a
letter from Mr.. Littlejohn, of Shen-
andoah Junction, who says that the
people OF that place are thoroughly
satisfied with the proposed route.
which passes three quarters OF a mile
south OF the Junction. The Register
has contended that the road ought 10
go through Shenandoah Junction, the
county's most important railroad cen
ter or course, IL the people Of that
place are satisfied TO have the road
pass them by at a distance OF nearly
mile we should have but little to
say, except that those from other sec
tions OF the county who have business
at the Junction may not agree with Mr..
Lifflejohn-they would probably pre-
fer road right TO the village and its
railroad facilities. The Junction peo-
pie may be right in their attitude OF
accepting a half loaf-to getting the
road as close as they can and be glad.
We do not feel that way about tive
think that the intention of the law
ought to be insisted upon and that the
road should go where ii will serve inn
portant towns and take account of fa-
cllities OF transportation and CONNER
cial centers. We appreciate the fear
OF the Junction people that the road
may be diverted by the Leetown route
and that they will be left entirely in
the lurch--as Shepherdstown and the
northern section Of the county will be
IL the present intentions of the COM
mission are carried out. Neverthe-
less, our opposition to this pine hills
route and what lies behind il is a
matter Of principle, and there can be
no compromise Of principle.
The sensible thing to do in the con-
struction OF this road is to build il
straight from Martinsburg to Shep-
herdstown BY the old-established route
which has been used going on two
hundred years, and then from Shep-
herdstown to Charles Town through
Shenandoah Junction The four i'm
portant towns Of the cnurtv would
thus be linked together and with Mar
tinssurg and with the outside world.
II this should not suit the very limit
ed number OF persons who want to
travel between the two county seats
without touching any other point, let
them try airplanes!
The completion OF the splendid sys-
tenn OF MARYLAND State roads to the
very door of epherdstown-now to
be an accomplished fact within few
wceks-and the purchase of the bridge
ACROSS the Potomac river here surely