The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1875-04-16
Our Public Roads.

"iN hSSP 'hNii III SoOi otNCl, Is SuUJcCt tlluI
may with propriety be discussed at any time
and especially at the, present when there is
lull in politics, and men can for time give
up affairs of State and attend to local con-
Germs. We therefore invite our readers to
give expression to their views upon the sub
ject, through The -Ags, believing that as in
the multitude of counsellors there is wisdom,
thereby some better plan than the one we
now have may he suggested, for securing
the best possible results from the money ey
pended upon our roads.
Our neighbors of Cecil county have recent
~ put in operation the plan of mending the
public roads by contract, and although the
prices agreed upon there are about the same
rs heretofore paid upon the same roads, it is
believed that the benefits will be largely in.
creased This belief is based upon the fact
that there will be more direct supervision
over the roads, and an exact fulfilment Oft
contracts. 1t will be the duty ofthe contract
ors to first put their roads in good condi-
ton. After that it will be to their interest to
repair them at proper seasons before serious
damage has been done, and when small
sum will suffice for the work. Under our
system 1reshets often occur after road has
been repaired and all the money expended
deep gulleys are washed in the road, and
it becomes impossible, the attention of the
county commissioners is called to the mat
Ter, and an extra allowance squeezed out
Frequently, however, as long as wagons and
carriages can meander around or through the
mud-hole or gulley-abeit at the risk of life
and limb-the obstruction to travel is allow
ed to remain until nature mends the place or
another season brings renewed appropria-
'on The result IS that piece of road
which could have been repaired for few
dollars, eventually costs the county ten times
more.
We have been informed that under the
contract system the roads in Cecil county are
already better than they have ever been be-
fore for the last ten years. In Peach Bot
tom township, Pennsylvania, where the new
system was adopted about year ago, there
is also decided improvement in the roads
The same observation is true in regard to
other townships of that State
1t is clearly shown from the experience of
some of our supervisors that by proper and
timely attention to roads, especially in the
fall and spring, the allowance of money can
be made to accomplish more permanent
good than is generally the case In the up
per part of the county there are two pieces
ofroad which are always in good condition,
and upon which smaller amount of money
per mile is expended than upon many other
roads of q similar character. The reason of
the difference in favor of the former is that
they are always repaired at the proper time,
and never suffered TO become impassable.-
IA stitch in time saves nine," is homely
adagc, that is applicable to mcnding roads as
well as garments
We do not know the precise details of the
method recently adopted in Cecil and other
counties, beyond the general fact that the
roads arc divided into sections and the duty
ofrepairing them sold at public auction to
the lowest bidder. In adopting such sys-
TEN it might be well to appoint supervisor
in each district, whose duty it should be to
see that the contractors did their duty Com
plants in regard to the roads might be made
to him, and if, upon examination, the COM
plants appeared to be well founded, he could
notify the contractor to repair the road with
III a certain number of days. II the repairs
were not made, the supervisor, at the end of
the time specified, should make them him.
SELF at the expense of the contractor. These
conditions might be made part of the con-
tract.
The expense of this system for the first
three years would doubtless be as great as at
present; but by the end ofthat period, if the
contracts were faithfully carried ont, the
roads would be in o much better condition
than they ever are under our present method;
and requiring less repairs, the contracts
would consequently thereafter be taken at
lower rates.
The present method is a bunglesome, un-
certain and expensive one. No one seems
TO be responsible for keeping tie roads in re-
pair; and when complaints are made, the
usual reply is that the allowance is exhausted
We should be glad to see the subject taken
up and discussed. 1t is one in which all arc
alike interested, without regard to party, and
all can cordially unite on the platform of
good roads and iudicious and economical
expenditure of the road tax. Let us hear,
therefore, from those who know anything
about the subject, and if there is any plan by
which we can have better roads for the same
amount ofmoncy now expended, in the name
of jolted humanity, tired b, asts and broken
vehicles let us have it,
-s.r---
Hartford County Agricultural Society.
i,,in lIo h.. Al,