Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1897-03-26
Our Road System.

This month having been unusually
rainy aud most of our public roads be-
ing of clay soil they have gotten into
bad condition and many of our citi-
zens are discussing the question of
change in our system of repairing the
public highways. hoping to devise a
plan that will accomplish the end in
view without additional cost to the tax
payers. Good public highways are in
dicative Of thrift and energy and the en-
terprise Of community or county is
often tested BY the public spiritedness
shswn BY its citizens in making and pre-
serving good public thoroughfares.
Labor and expense are saved by SO do
ing and people who are close to their
own interest in saving expense in small
matters can be depended upon to be
economical in larger affairs and wherever
economy is practieed frugAlity and pros
perity follow. 1t is generally known
and recognized throughout the State
that We have good public rad system,
and that comparatively speaking we
have good roads, but it will not be de-
MED that the system can be improved up
on and made more effective in accomplish
ing the result intended In the FIRST
place, as we have had occasion to say
before, the road corps as now constituted
have too much territory to cover in The
short period of seven months in which
they have to work. The most of their
time is. taken up in travelling from place
to place patching and making passible
dangerous places and when they are
d0ugh the season for such work is
movinger. As much time is lost in
A change ias is spent in actual work.
In the second plaEespect is necessary.
trusted with this impOfGy. of those en-
not the skill and capacity topty nave
mend roads and the money intended
be spent in good purpose is wasted.
Our contention is, and has been
that we should have nine corps instead
OF hve-one to each Election District
composed of the came number of men a,
now respectively constitute the same
directly under the eye and control Of
the County Commissioners, and thew
should, when first beginnin
work, go over their road sos-;svry ano
patch and make passible all the
thoroughfares of their districts, which
could be done in about sixty days and
then devote the remainder of the sew
en- months in making permanent i'm
provements, beginning at some particu-
lar point and continuing until the
public roads have all been thor
oughly and permanently made good
In this way we will soon have good
public roads all over the county. No
additional expense need be incurred
Let the road fund as now annually ap-
Eroprlated be apportioned among the
several districts according to the mum.
Der OF miles in each, and let the County
Commissioners who are generally select
ed from the different sections of the
County personally supervise the entire
work. As to the plan Of work APART
IRON the patchwork necessary to be
lone each year-all that is needed and
that should be done, will be to open and
Keep open the water drains and gravel
the road beds. The gravel should not
be put in thin layers upon fresh and
unpacked earth, but be poured in heavy
coats, upon solid, hard packed soil as
basis so that heavy travel over the same
IN wet weather cannot cut through and de-
stroy the road beds, but make them more
compact and permanently substantial.
The free use of gravel has been proven
necessity in mendipg our roads. and
as we have any quantity of it and as it
eau be had without much cost. there is
no excuse for using it sparingly. As
the road corps with tie induction of
majority of the present boa-d Of
county Commissioners into office
have been appointed for two years, and
as their terms Of office will not expire
until next spring, it is not likely I
change will be made this year, but the
County Commissioners, have the power {
II they will, to change the system, {
and the subject should be kept fresh in a
the public mind that it may be done at '
some early day. f
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