Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1884-05-23
PUBLIC ROADS IN MARYLAND
The Counties Waking Up.

Our friends in the counties are last waking
up TO the necessity of improving the condition
of their public roads. Ia Charles county. par.
suant TO call for this purpose meeting OF
taxpayers was held at Port Tobacco on he 6, b
inst, to take the subject into conierarion The
result of the meeting was the adoption of a
petition to the county commissioners asking
them TO appoint civil engineer as general
superintendent of the road service, and patting
the supervisors under his orders. IL is thought
they vii! comply. The wretched condition of
the Charles county roads SAWS the Port Tobacco
inns. lis one of the most CRYING evils III Il
the people have 10 endure, the monev spent on
Them by the supervisors being for the most
part absolutely thrown awav' II saws with
great good sense and an earnestaess that m.r-
its attention, that ''the public roads OF com
muniiy have a direct and important bearing
upon Its general welfare. Ii the roads Of this
county were kept in that good condition whic
the money expended on them ough, 10 effect,
N addition Ia The great additional pleasure a nj
comfort which wou'i be experienced hv trar-
-lers. the value OF every seie of lani in the
county would he thereby cnh tncei The mar.
kets and shipping points would he placed prAc-
hcally nearer the farmer door nd the expense
of conveying his products be correspondence
reduced In Dorchester county the road max.
ing and mendiny committee have been testing
q he efficiency OF several road machines, but
the trial OF them at C,mbridE- WAS not salts
factory. The committee in their report speak
OF the loss from the bad rods nf The county "a
enormous. and they propose TO continue
thcir WORK IN the hope OF IN kin. spm. sug,
gestioas for the improvement Of the present
loose system. la Frederick county the C:tiz,a
complains OF The useless expenditure Of the
thousands OF dptars that GO every wear TO GIL
up the same mud holes In Caroline county
contracts have been entered into for the iai-
provem-nt Of ae roads. tu. the contractors
thus FAT have filled 10 comply with the condi-
lions OF the oniTaci, and there IL great iixsar-
'sfsctioa in consequence. Throa. bout mauy
oi the COUNTS the de,ei mi patton nE-she peoe-
eni. and -esa = so s, = -agsa
aroused among them there - a REASONABLE hos =
that they Will he no longer content with M
slovenly way in which the TO lis are meHdei
from year 10 year without leaving Them any
hotter than T. ey were before rsh dirt Gas
heaped upon them 20 be washed of hy the
next heavy rain. The total expenses of R,lii-
more county for the present year are set doan
by the commissioners al three hundred and
seventy thousand dollars. The half OF this
amount or TO give the esact 6sures, one hun
ired aud cighty-six thousand and forty-seyen
dollars. is to he spent in the support Of the pub
lie schools and on roads and bridgrs-ihe lat
ter taking $50 047 of this lsrg- sun Any one
v ho knows what the CONDITION Of the roads
were this spriug aud still are in some parts o.
the county, cannot bat be impressed with the
tolerance OF the taxpayers in suhmittin. 10 be
so heavily assessed without getting any appreci-
able benefit from the outlay The same old
routine goes on from year 10 year. 1.-The same
old mad holes are filled up. as in Frederick
county, and all because of the want Of proper
application of means to ends the supervisors
are not 1T fault. They do the best they can.
The great want ia Of intelligent direction
through the adoption of a system which shall
gradually give US firm, smooth roads 10 any
weather. These can only be had hy degrees, but
every mil of roat so made lessons The cost Of
keeping il up and leaves more money out OF
the annual lew TO be devoted 10 the improve
ment of the reminder - fillmore San