Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-01-12

Their Improvements the Purpose Of . Con-
vention ut Baltimore.

The Maryland road convention met yeeter.
day morning at Baltimore, with over hundred
delegates in attendance. They settled down to
business with little Formally. and before the
morning session was over had resolved them
selves into . permanent organization, to be
known - the Maryland Road League, and had
elected the following permanent officers: Henry
0. Devries Of Howard county. president; John
Miller Of Prince Georges county, vice presi-
dent. and Eugene Blackboard Of Baltimore, score
tary for Maryland Of the National League for
| Good Roads, secretary and treasurer, and an
executive committee. The latter Is to consist of
II. o. Devries, Gustavus W. thurman, B. How
ard Hannah. d. @. Wharton Smith, Eugene
Blackford and one member from each of the
| counties OF the state, with three from Baltimore
| city.
Secretary Sans read an address Of welcome
from Mayor Latrobe. The latter had expected
| to be present, but was detained by pressing
| business.
The chair then appointed the following COM
mftee on temporary organization: Mr.. Jacob
Baker, Hartford county, and Edward C. Gilpin,
MONTGOMERY county. They reported on the
| following for permanent officers Of the con-
vention: President, Henry o. Devries Of How
ard county; vice presidents. G. W. Lurman, d.
Howard Haman, D. G. Wharton Smith, Frank
G. Wilkens, John NJ Hood, William Gilmore,
Carroll Goldsborough, and the chairman Of
each organization represented at the conven-
ton; secretary, Conway W. Sans: assistant
secretaries, Eugene Blaikford and William B.
Sands.
NATIONAL ORGANIZATION.
Gen. Roy Stone Of New York. vice president
| of the National League for Good Roads, made
an address, saying in part: ''The people who
want roads must get together, consult, discuss
and combine themselves into such an organlZa-
ton that when they have finally settled upon
plan OF action that plan will represent the best
judgment Of the people, and will find its own
way Of being carried out in legislation and
operation. This work of education and organi-
cation is the purpose Of the National League
for Good Roads.
81 believe that the organization of a state
league or division of the National League for
Good Roads will be of much more practical
value than the organization of an independent
state road association. The state road associa-
tions have almost uniformly been failures. A
national organization can certainly be kept
alive. and it can furnish constant stimulus
and assistance to its state organizations, while
there will be degree of emulation between
them. The national organization will furnish
speakers and literature and assist the state or
ganization in any effort to procure local legis-
lanon or other reforms, and while each state
league will be entirely Independent in all
purely state matters 1t will be fully supported
by the national organization"
WHAT UNIVERSITY CAN DO.
President d. c. Gilman of the Johns Hopkins
University was then introduced. He said
You may ask what can a university do to pro-
mote the end you are now considering will
answer by stating that you are now entering
upon campaign of education, and we can help
you by training up the young men. We can
help you by the use Of our pens, aiding YOU in
the preparation OF your educational literature.
1t Is the work Of every great university con-
Quoted on broad and liberal plan to do all
within its power to aid the people. think
such institutions should study its environ
ments, and by the information thus gained
helping the people to go forward. While we
cannot participate actively in any political
movement, We are with you heartily in the de-
sire for the best interests of the people,
President Devries announced the following
committee on the perfection of plan for a
permanent organization: L. NJ. Bacon, VIM b.
Sands, +. W. Baker, w. r. Price and 3. How
ard Hannah. While this committee was out ad-
dresses were made by Mr.. Henry W. Williams
on the economic side of the road question, and
by Mr. Charles NJ. Howard, on its social aspect.
DISCUSSION ON THE SUPERVISOR.
Mr.. d. c. Wharton Smith offered a resolu-
ton that twas the sense of this convention that
the parceling out of county roads to an army
OF assistant supervisors is a pernicious system,
and deserves the seal of our condemnation
Debate on this was limited to five minutes
each.
E. c. Gilpin of Montgomery county said "we
have 600 miles of roads in county and about
100 supervisors We annually expend SI8 600
on our roads. 1t Is said that politics enters
largely in tho work, but have for years worked
and acted against the commissioners. do not
think we need any radical change"
After cOnsiderabe debate tho resoIufioo ,voo
carried over as unfinished business, to be called
up at another time.
REVOLUTIONS INTRODUCED AND LAID OVER.
Mr.. thurman offered resolution that it is
the sense Of this convention that the only satis-
factory method of constructing roads is by the
issue of bonds under proper restriction"
This resolution was laid over until today
MIR. Lurman then offered another resolution,
as follows:
Resolved. That it is the sense of this conyen-
ton that the turnpike companies should be alb
sorbed by the state, and the turnpikes made
free roads, under some equitable plan to be de-
cided upon by state commission.
This also was laid over until today.
Mr.. Lurman then moved that the executive
committee should draft plan or law to be. sub
mitted to the convention at another meeting
to be adopted by it and submitted to the next
legislature in reference to the state assuming
charge of the road system generally.
his was carried, WIN Inc amendment that
such plan or draft should be first submitted
to the people generally by publication before
the meeting of the convention, offered by w.
I. L. Taliaferro.
Mr.. HAaAN's PROPOSITION.
At night Mr.. b. Howard Haman delivered an
address, in which he showed how the necessary
funds for the making of good roads in the state
and their maintenance could be effected out of
the oyster waters of the Chesapeake bay.
briefly stated, my proposition is this: The
state a revenue sufficient to keep in repair
ali the roads and bridges within its borders.
The state now spends every year $500, 900 for
this purpose. This is raised by direct taxation
1t could be gotten from the bay by leasing the
bottoms fit for oyster planting and charging a
fair rental for such leases. And here would
remark that the bay and its navigable tribu-
tares belong to the state at large very per-
tinent question here is, What revenue could be
derived in this way? In 1884 there was a bal
ance in the state treasury of accumulations of
the oyster fund amounting to S244 ,031. SO, made
up OF money received from licenses paid by
fishermen. In 1890 there was only SOL, l06 "a,
making loss of nearly Sl43,000 in six years,
and this due merely to the fact that our oyster
domain has been plowed and narrowed almost
to exhaustion, and the net result at present is a
great many wealthy packers a great many
hourishing and thriving commission men and q
great many thousands Of boatmen who hare
lived from this industry, while you. the land
lords and real owners, have for the future