The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1893-02-17
FREDERICK w. BAKER, Editor.
THE NEW DEPARTURE IN REP1IR-
ING ROADS.

The County Commissi oners, it is I'M
derstood, have determined to appoint
the General Road Supervisors, at
their meeting on Monday next, after
which they will make preparations
for carrying into effect the new plan
of repairing the roads, which was re-
solved upon several weeks ago. IL IL
is to be a success and to secure what
its advocates claim it will secure,
namely, good roads with lower taxes,
it is essential that the utmost care
should be exercised by the County
Commissioners, first in selecting the
General Supervisors and next in the
appointment of assistant supervisors.
Upon the good judgment and indus
try of the latter will largely depend
the success of the project. To secure
the right kind of men it will undoubt-
eddy be necessary to pay them some
what higher wages than are paid to
ordinary hands, as ii would be unrea-
sonable to expect that man who is
qualified to properly direct the opera
tions of force of hands, keep an ac-
count of their time, Sc, would be will
ing to perform these duties at the
usual price paid to men for working
upon the roads. 1t is common bust
ness experience that where superior
ability is required the pay must be
proportionate thereto.
To secure the best results from the
new system, therefore, the best men
obtainable should be selected as gen.
eral and assistant supervisors, and an
earnest, honest effort be made by the
County Commissioners to ensure, as
far as possible, the success of the new
system. 1t is no experiment. 1t has
accomplished good results in the Sec
ond district, under the supervision OF
County Commissioner Courtney and
General Road Supervisor Silver, and
the Darlington Road League has also
proved, in it's work, the effectiveness
of the system. A plan similar to that
adopted by our County Commissioners
has been tried with excellent results,
also, in Queen Anne's county, accord
ing to the Centreville Observer, which
says:
Good reports come to us Of the system Of
working public roads in Sudlersville arc
Queenstown districts, adopted by the County
Commissioners, and we understand that IN
few years. if the system is continued IN thes'
districts, splendid roads will be the result
There road machines are employed, and the
whole of Queenstown district and one half o.
Sudlersville district is awarded to one man
who gives bond and who makes road workln
his business The roads are properly worked
They are rounded up in the centre and drained
on both sides. Water that falls on the roat
bed runs off at once to the side ditch and thu
finds its way down into the creeks and rivers
The middle of the road is not made into I
ditch, with both sides high, and no side drains
at all, as is the case on some roads.
The same system should be adopted in othe
districts. Men who have some practica
knowledge of road making men who thlni
and think correctly should be selected in the
other districts as they have in the two named
and in few wears we will have good road'
all over the county, as We ought to have
But Just SO long as the roads are worked BY
an army of two hundred supervisors or mor'
we must expect bad roads. 1t is not possible
to gather such an army together in sparsely
settled communities without obtaining man.
incompetents. 1t is these incompetents who
do the mischief Their roads are bad, gener
ally bad, and the good supervisors get NJ
credit for the better work done by them LIE
the incompents be weeded out let the road
be put out in large sections, whole district
or at least half district to one man, and SET
to it that that one man knows what he il
about Give him machine make him give
bond hold him to faithful performance o
his contract, and if the Commissioners nav
not the time to ride over the roads frequentl.
and see IL the work is done, and done right
let them send somebody in their places. LIE
every supervisor know that he has supervi
sor overlooking him who may come upon hin
at any time and aid him with suggestions
and the chances are decidedly in favor OF haV
ing a satisfactory road system in q short time