ROADS. 241 



may appear unexceptionable on paper, and their working com- 

 paratively easy ; but, in reality, the execution may be so difficult, 

 as to render them null and nugatory. It would seem, on reading 

 our road-ordinances, that provision is made for everything except 

 what is most essential, viz., qualified persons for determining, 

 directing, and superintending the repairs of the roads. Each 

 warden, having charge of the roads and bridges, is the grand sur- 

 veyor in his ward ; and yet such warden may have been, before 

 his appointment, a lawyer, a solicitor, a merchant, &c. in fact, 

 anything but a person fit for the duty intrusted to him. The 

 auditors are planters generally, or attorneys the latter, commonly 

 merchants ; the former, good judges of the price of labour, but 

 certainly no better qualified than the others, to determine the 

 best mode of making or repairing roads. And yet such a fixed 

 opinion prevails among the members of the community that each 

 and every individual is qualified as a road-surveyor, that the 

 dearly bought experience which has introduced improvements, by 

 instalments, in our road-ordinances, must be further extended, 

 ere they clearly see that competent and qualified persons should be 

 appointed as road-surveyors, in order to direct, superintend, and 

 control all operations connected with the making and repairing of 

 roads, and the construction of bridges. The great obstacle the 

 bugbear here seems to be the expense consequent on the ap- 

 pointment of competent officers a parsimony rather inexplicable 

 when contrasted with other lavish disbursements, and the principle 

 that judicious expenditure is real economy. And let me remark, 

 as connected with this subject, that the government contributes a 

 yearly sum of 3,000 towards the maintenance of a steamer in 

 the gulf, for the conveyance of mails, police, and prisoners, and 

 especially for the benefit of passengers between Port-of-Spain and 

 Naparima. The secretary of the central board is a land-surveyor, 

 well qualified for his duty ; the next step must be the appoint- 

 ment of paid inspectors, also qualified for their duty ; and the 

 necessary result will be better, and, I dare say> cheaper roads than 

 are at present known to exist. 



I would also suggest that the central board should consist of two 

 representatives of the county of St. George, and of the county of 

 Caroni, two of the county of Victoria, and one of the county of 

 St. Patrick whether or not members of council ; and not, as at 

 present, of gentlemen exclusively councillors, and almost ex- 



p 



