The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1868-03-21
The Road Oue.fIon
MorST RErosE. Baltimore County.
Mar.h lAlL. IaEA

MorSt RErosE, Baltimore County,
49, -, . =. March 18th, isss.
pnAn siss-rhe many communicable, that have
been made To the county papers aud Others during the
sssn not to have axsd public attention as se, Ipo
any definite plan BY which 90 desirable oljee, can be
We have had Informal and formal meetings on
the saetee,-havs had reports read TO them upon both
the General and District systems less detail
movement 90 auspieiously commencrd NC have stlli
70 obtain some Improvement the old county system,
under which, Tor one hundred aud nine ycar We have
been Flooding on IN mud and Fuggedness, without
siags rational effort At ameliora.ion. why Is this
matter which concerns the conlfort the Happiness
1na ths Prosperity oIeteTy person ~ our community
the masses aud the people do not lack the intelligence
common 10 other localities Of like sEc aud population
Heretofore, IN matters Of mutual improvement our
OF her people u In nothing manifest than In the
courageous enterprise with which she inaugura,cd aud
carried through some Of the mos, important roads Ia
North America. Why u this hcsitatinE taTdincss Ia
simple matter Of local county Improvement mani
test IN midst can only account for u by supIOs
Ing that the times have changed. Radical diseases 10
body polite mus. have radical remedies applied 10
them. and whether they b. old fogsh conservatism OF
the character of the remedy 10 the same
u must he strong aud active and radical too. Hat
enough Of that the disease does exist must h. ap
parent 70 every ono Who has given the suhcct the
serious thought Ny object u 10 coninc my rcmarks
70 the remedies before and TO ask thsi no means may
be len untTied before NC abandon subject hitch prom
iscs 90 much beneht 10 alt.
The hr.t bill before Us Is the one originating with.
published and presented BY the committee appointed at
road convention held al Towsontoun on the 5th Janua
~, ana known ~ the General County system AMER
many meetings and much pains bestowed upon H. prep
nfation ~ the gentlemen composing that committee.
vas duly perfected aud presented to our Dclsgairs
Annapels ior consideration. That u may not b.
cepted ny then the system Of aN the bst calculated
Tor the purpose intended, " my sincere desire. with
the exception Of the four supcrv b. charged
the personal supervision u the roads and bridges
each election district SEE nothing In the mca.uf.
which locks 10 \ shadow 81 improvement the old
system and even this When the dutic. limited h.
The aet 70 the path making itself becomes matter Il
doubtful usefulness because the cuHEnsaton Il more
than adequate 10 the responsibility and consequently b,
comes source q constant abuse and cNtrav agancr
To prove that u must result Ia unncccssary expense to
the county, let Us take for example the numbct thus
Der q miles TO be worked $500 Ii We allow ON niir
day a the average progress 81 party % aor,f. under
supervisor, and think the estimate !.
then 50 divided into 200 gives ~ as tac numlsr af
days required to over the roads oBcv year. -
multiplied By - equal 10 2sO Of The nuui,T Of Iay-
required for one supervisor to do the same work an
the principle 81 stitch In time &c no one can aA
hou much ofener they ought Go h. seen ia, ~ viii
take twice the nccssy Of the ease. and how tie
account stands. fthen II requires $500 days Tor one
intending. foT two mcndings II must necessarily require
500 days Tor one supervisor &e. which at a. pr day
you'd amount TO the round u sl50Op. the co.t
Of an irresponsible supervisor II the road. which
limited BY the Law 20 the instructions given by chief
81 bureau whose duties hk-wise irresponsible J..
cause of the physical tmpossibii,y u performing the
sNhI thAn A'addin1s magic ability To say that a
single commissioner or three 81 them doing at
the County Seat and residing thcy frequently do
the side Of the county, can be- ccted have sui
hcient acquaintance with the condition of the road.
scattered over an o. seven hundred square milo
To determine what IL necessary Tor their improvement
and u population Of 81 souls To saV Who arr
qualified 20 sufeFintrnd thu economical expenditure II
tak upon them, l. 10 calculate by had rule II practice
The general taxes arr already heavy hurihcn aud
the greatest economy aud intelligence q supcTs
are looked for and desired This IDEA has
been the great evil Of our old system t had it, origin
N the circumstances Of our people when the county
formsd-when there no question about mcndtus
roads because there were no persons t. mend them au
no market 10 give direction 10 them. hut when Ia fact
the bridges alone OF the absence o thcm constituted
the only imiediment 60 suecessfll prosecution 81 the
business % the county. The Little money raised Va,
spent chiefly upon them and the roads embraced the
waste lands Of the Lord Proprietor u la. bccn said
that there vas not so much fault In the Law the
administration o. u ;this u not true "a bad govern
ment honestly administered u never better tia good
one badly administered
The Chief f Bureau or Commissioner Of Road and
Bridges kr styled Ia the act must hnd his motive
power outside d tie animal Kingdom. 1.-THE ruads
b. supervised were Of higher class than mud ro,d.
and he had the aid q Steam aud Telegraph. he might
make some shoU Of usefulness for the 81 Sol paid him
itevsn the county roads belonged the middle elias.
water courses aud bridges all dccrm ned aud
then BY riding over them Dorsey hksl month
the intelligent supervision given might br all,
quA'e return Tor the outlay. A little calculation how
ever viii show hoS unreasonable this paved Rad feat
u In the Performance feel tia, IL any commi.
sionsf succeeded IN doing IL once thv half of H. De-
would not b. worth continental af,crNaT cgicr To-
himself Or his family agree Wlih III author. Of the
h N saying that except the commits AMI capita
ton features there Is very l'tile novelty aud ~
pFoSemcnt the old county plan
The seeming attempt To niiN W. priuciprs and mat.
tiers pr0tsFly belonging distinct iarus II Law
Win The audAhle purpose Of Tccuncing te conflicting
views and interest u tersons Throughout Ia, countN
In my opinion. only weaken ths general Iuact. given
The eApitA,lon taN foand IN this hill would oil
leet TO 10 the east-under different stem When the
necessary economy could h. had Ia it, expenditure upon
the roads The probability u that than one
day OF the half Of the amount stated Ia the ax would
ever BE- demanded Besides intoxicating feeling uf IN
terest Ia the roads. which u Necessary g. - dis.ut
labor IN the rerAir Of them Il ]. decided reflection
upon the patriotism OF the Wofking man 10 dcny HIM
the pSiNtleke Of contributing mite % tie support q
Government.
The other hill which proro.c to uo;ic~ IA ,hi. com
munieation l. the presented 10 tie General A..rn
hy by Mr. Potsst. the 9Th u March, 81 the present
session. IL Is known a the local elective ~ de
tfei system and Is Identical In all IT. essrntais With
the plan presented a. majority report TO the dr.t
mass meeting held al rowsontown GA the subject. ani
AfterG ards majority report of a., committee Of
hneen, appointed az that meeting g. thr
the 9Th January.
might here rest content with thu argument. Of the
reports Of the committee, but will add word further
system ofiaw for tie aocomplishmsni of ,I-chc
purpose must be. a. it. nance impes combination
Of parts mutual dcprndcEccs, having such relation
TO the object for which I, u designed and each other,
20 preclude the idea 81 changing II a.. part.
without impalrinE the us,falncss 81 the sholr You
may construct steam engine 1" move given ~cight
81 given rate % speed to any given distance and 10
there other elements in the requirements. mat
tiers littr whether IL 10 high pressure low pres
sure onr-uheiher pound or one ton u fuel j.
sumed In the work-bu " either II these elements
IL Included IN the Specifications and The economy
the undertaking u To BE- the ruling principle the
struetlon % the machine then It follows there must
det-ndence or relation hSeen all tl- part. and the
work 10 b. done. which cannot he separated 30 IL Il.
with perfect road lAw-the work TO 4. done them
must be certainly done--done ed.ctaaiy aud chcaily
and With little hardship 10 the parties interested Ia
the doing, and Ia the benefits. j. Possible 10 have
Every advantage % time and circumstanc- should h.
awaited Of not only n tau but by the very saving
itself TO enable tax payers 60 ecva;" tn. standard
the roads and So BY facilitating the hauling them
increase the Intrinsic value II his property aud add
yearly to the productive industry 81 the county
To say that these principle all c,VcTsd hy the
present district hill AID that Il will produce the results
named IT, perhaps. 10 claim for u merit than il
deserves so much a the immediate eject - its oIe
ration. certainly do not expect; but that such will
eventuAiiy b. the when time and shall
have enabled perfectly 10 adapt Il. pros sions
to the circumstances of situation. etc what
sincerely hop for and believe
We call attention the fact Tn it, Ia other
parts Of the United States where they have good roads
such IL found 10 h. the system IA Ia all u them
which u has been In my IpWeT 10 examine, aud hch
have seemed IN deserve any special atieaton the anton
ofths local elective the and the labor
features 10 apparent By the hr-t get the main
spring % the uhoie machine. Without the individual
responsibility emAnAtinR from H. and /; being made
matter % neighborhood interest, doah if any plan
can b. worth havingbcau.c u Is local the duties un