The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1892-12-23
ROAD IMPROVEMENT.
The Good Results OF Organized Effort In
Hartford County.


Mr.. d. C. Wharton Smith, President of the
Darlington Road League of Hartford County,
Nd, writes to the Baltimore SIM us follows:
The subject of road Improvement is now
| prominently and fairly before the people of
| Mary land. The object i'll view is so vast and
beneticent in its character that it is earnestly
| hoped the movement will find many earnest
! supporters and will prove signaly successful.
| The chief idea OF what | write will he to pre-
| sent AN object lesson which will illustrate the
! there's way" and also point to the remark
| able success due to organized cooperation in
| the line of road Improvement i'll this part of
| Hartford.
Driven almost to despair by the wretched
condition of our highways and byways IL few
citizens determined to call public meeting
here in the fall of 1887 and to try the expert
| ment Of road league. The affairs Of the
| league were placed in the hands of council
| charge of the work under their supervision
and direction. Commencing with one or two
miles, this was gradually extended until some
fifteen mics of road came under their care.
1.-THE improvement has been so marked and
its success go phenomenal that it has proved
surprise and qualification to all our citizens
far and near. In addition to the usual road
warrants given out year by year, an equal
sum, or more, has been raised by private SUBJ
scriptions, and the county commissioners,
viewing with favor the operations of the
league, have aided us to the extent Of their
ability. Included in our labors have been new
culverts new bridges and very considerable
amount of piking over the main highways, rem
dering them paSsable at all seasons of the
year. Some roads were literally covered with
oyster shells during the first two years and
later with cinders. The result of all this intel
ligent and systematic work has been to add
vastly to the comfort, happiness and welfare
of this community.
AT the monthly meetings of the council of
twelve the district road supervisor and our
overseer are in attendance, and thus we are
kept familiar with the progress of the work
and with our needs and requirements. Very
naturally valuable knowledge and experience
are gained i'll this way and will render the task
of road repairing easier here in the future.
"It has been stated with much truth that
road improvement has not gone hand in hand
with progress in other directions, and this for
various and obvious reasons one being that
what is everybody's business is nobody's bus
mess. 1t Is well-known that very large por-
tions of the appropriations made for road pur-
poses are annually wasted. Our farmers are
grooming under the burden of increased taxa
ton year after year, which brings them no
commensurate benefits, and it is now high
time something should be done in the line of
retrcnchment and reform.
"Thh recent movement for the establish
ment of national league for road improve
nent, with branches in every State and school
district, may be what at last will aid in solving
the great problem. With combined effort in
active and Jealous workers, there is no eSti-
mating the good that may be accomplished for
the present generation and for posterity.-
Surely the dawn of better days is nearer now
than ever before, and may it not be long until
those who have given so much earnest thought
to this important subject shall realize the full
fruition of their hopes"