STATISTICAL SURVEY 



immediately, as the laying out of money in due feafoD 

 is always found the cheapeft way of going to work. 



It would alfo be found good policy to allow the 

 farmer or undertaker that part of the road, which may 

 lie next to his own land ; by which means, he would^ 

 be the more induftrious to clear his ground of ftones, 

 which to him would be a defirable advantage, and of 

 general benefit to the public, fince the more land is 

 cleared, the greater, of courfe will, be the extent oi 

 culture. 



There is no reafon, why a new road fliould not be 

 contracted for in like manner. In all cafes, inspectors 

 are abfolutely necefTary. An active perfon employed in 

 this manner, of approved judgment and fidelity, would 

 do away at once petty road-overfeers, and would not 

 be attended with perhaps one fifth of the expence; 

 as the former might anfwer for a whole barony, 

 at fuppofe twenty pounds a year, which would make 

 only a fmall figure in paying the number of overfeers 

 ufually employed in the fame diftruft. 



Contracts, of this nature fliould not be for a lefs 

 term than feven years, to keep roads in repair; if only 

 for one or two years, contractors will have ao perma- 

 nent intereft in the work, and of conrfe they will not 

 take fuch pains to do it well, as if the terms had been 

 longer. Indeed, the longer the term of contract is, the 

 better; it acts upon the contract or in the fame man- 

 ner as a long leafe does on a farmer, which requires 

 no demoQjftration. 



How 



