Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1922-03-04
UPSn... SREY
DIFFERS WITH
MIR. BOWMAN

Editors of Democratic Messenger:
Dear Srs:-I, like Mr.. Bowman,
live on the county road from CEDAR
town to Wesley Station. 1t may be
the worst road in Worcester County,
! do not know, but there are plenty
of bad roads, plenty of roads doctors
cannot travel in automobiles, nor
others either, for that matter; plenty
Of roads where il takes a nine mule
team to carry three mule load. So
do not know whether ours are the
worst, OF only just one of the many
bad ones.
|. for one, would be glad of a
remedy, and as the old way Of work
ing the roads does not seem to be
just the proper thing. or, at least,
does not give Us a good road GER
tainly uphold Senator Harrison's pro-
posed Road Law.
A pen will not work a county road
and If Nh. Bowman will get a team
Of mules and a shovel and try little
at road building as | have tried it,
without any pay from the county, OF
any added expense to taxpayers, ]
believe his shovel will do more than
his pen. | worked the road for my
own benefit. and the benefit of the
people Of my community, so that
teams might pass over it, and traffic
not be delayed and the dollars might
come into our community that would
go elsewhere; that our community
might be progressive and not lie
dormant all winter and wait for
spring to come and thereby lose the
valuable time and money that might
be made Spring brings other duties,
and the teams, for the most part, do
farm labor at that time. The profit
derived from hauling has been very
much misrepresented, but why should
| let my teams stand and pay me
nothing when | am not using them
on the farm? And why should |
have to pay an extra tax for being
ambitious?
Now in regard to by-road travel;
! let my neighbors, and the public
at large. pass over by-road on my
farm, and so do others in the COM
munity, but a sign, "No Tresspass-
ing" stares US in the face when we
near Wesley Station and the Cedar
edge Farm.
Do | interfere with the way the
writer of last weeks article markets
his produce: whether it be with tad
dem team OF auto on tires, solid or
pneumatic? harness my team, as !
think il can do the best work and
with the least eXertion on the part
of each animal, and right here ! wish
to say ! have never crippled a mule
or numerically beat one to try to
make them do more than they were
strong enough to do.
Now the suggested tax Of one dol
an an acre a year on timber land
would certainly be the means of COM
pelling large land owners to sacrifice
their real estate A man, say, with
some four to six hundred acres or
more of woodland with none too
much timber OF tbs land would have
to pay four to six hundred dollars
extra tax. This with his tax on
cleared land, and personal besides
would be burden. And how many
years you think before taxes would
take that farm? Pine timber doesn't
grow in day Something like
thirty five years of burdensome tax
alton before a crop or harvest, and
man would have TO be quite old to
get two crops in a lifetime. Better
buy what timber he needs for his own
use than pay taxes.
Now who, you think, be the loser by
a license on teams and companies?
The farmer, or landowner, most as
suredly. The company or buyer
would certainly take this into con-
sideration when making purchase.
Just chance for leeway and more
clear profit.
The northern states, as rule
haven't any better roads than we
have. and Maryland has the cheapest
state road in the country, only cost
ing about one third TO one half as
much as the roads of Pennsylvania;
and they are a marvel for the money
expended Let the state get hold OF
all the roads in Maryland, and we
will surely see some more good roads.
UPSHUR X. GREY,
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