The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1897-04-09
ROAD CONSTRUCTION.
Before Work Is Begun the Probable
Cost should BE Considered.

Before Work Is Begun the Probable
Cost should BE Considered.
While good roads are greatly to be
desired, voters should carefully con-
slider the cost before authorizing work.
A New Jersey man writing in an east
ern exchange says: In this township
there are so miles of roads; the usual
appropriation for opening and repair
ing roads, shoveling snow, etc, is
$1,000, or an average of $26 per mile.
Some stretches of road average more
than $26 per mile, others less. With this
small outlay the majority of the roads
are in much better condition than they
were rs years ago.
Farmers, being the one class of tax
payer who cannot escape paying the
tax for building stone roads, figure as
follows: One mile of stone road costs
about $4,000, or a sum equal to the
assessors list. To build one mile of
stone road would double the tax rate.
Or, the interest on the cost of one mile
of road would be, at five per cent, $500.
Experts estimate the cost of keeping
stone roads in repair at 500 per mile.
Interest and, repairs would thus be $500
per year. Such figures are appalling
to farmers, and they are also confront
ed with the fact that the road bonds of
much weather. counties than the one
in question do not find ready purchasers.
AS stone roads are not probable for
years to come. improvement by some
cheaper method should be considered.
This good roads problem must be met,
and if it can be done without bank
rupting farmers all good citizens
should bid godspeed to the work. One
of the greatest obstacles to better
roads in their present construction is
poor drainage. Stone road builders
never neglect the drainage. even though
they lay stone ~ or Is inches deep.
Many pieces of spongy roadbed may be
made solid by proper drainage. After
drainage is attended to by good side
bitches, and underdrains where needed,
the roadbeds should be rounded. so that
water will not stand in puddles. My
experience in mending roads is that on
a dirt road there should be no mixture
of stones with the dirt, as such roads
are always rough and holes will be
gouged out and there is danger of
breaking wagons. besides the discom-
fort of bouncing as one passes along.
| 1t is often the case along streams that
| gravel can be had for the hauling, and
a coat of this, or shale, on properly
drained road. will make a solid and
smooth road for several years. Each
township should annually raise rea-
sonable sum, besides the regular road
tax, for permanent improvement. There
are low places in nearly every district
that cannot be properly drained, and
such places should be stoned so as to
make a lasting job, and after the stones
are well pounded down they should be
covered with gravel or shale. By some
such means, our roads would gradually
become better, without excessive taxa
! ton, and the work being carried on
simultaneously in all parts of the town
ship, tie cry of taxation without rep
resentaton would not be heard, as in
the case of building expensive stone
roads; for in the nature of things I'M
der that system, many men must pay
the excessive taxes all their days and
reap no benefit Northumberland of
Agriculture.