The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1897-12-30


a. ! went session of the MARYLAND
90 osahge to the question of good
ru"lS oome resolutions were adonted
wnicn enlist the organization as al
ac.ivslactor in the movement to bet
.s,wty s.eswtys Of The State.
gNvNVUOy 'V"NhO, " v az M : - y
he4fSlhe good roads-bureau of the
| UnIte@Sutes Agriculture Depart
me1E 1t vas he chief speaker, and he
was foIlowd with close interest. He
said:
Our Deartment is concerned in
| having god roads in Maryland and
Virginia, ecause We want to show
them as ohct lessons. Unfortunate
Iy these to States have probably
the worst Dads in the country. A
great part)f your highways are en-
tirely neglected. Money is paid for
supervisio1which does not supervise.
and for labr which dosen't work.
You sped annually in this State
5000 600 a ear and get no practical
results. Sillful supervision is the
great needof this State in the work
of road improvement. Farmers are
now sutfemg a tax equal to 81 an
acre a yea because of bad roads.
Can the famers of this State afford
to al ow tn; to continue? This fipure
is no. guessed at, but is the result of
careful invstigation. This waste is
due 10 the ondition Of the highways
of tha courry. 1t is estimated that
the cost of hauling on the common
road of tt country amounts to one
thouand Millions of dollars a wear.
and that tvO-thirds of this immense
SUIT fouldoe saved with a complete
systln of Dads. Do you realize that
;hegeatet share of the evils of bad
time es is die to the condition of our
Highways Go visit a section where
thered are good and kept so, and
9I.AI li2a 9 people Unaffected by
Il n that the question of State
aid isliminated in Maryland by a
constitutional provision which pro-
hibit the use of State funds for such
a pupose. Get up sentiment strong
enolgh and amend your constitution,
likqother states are doing. 1t is a J
vic bus system that requires localities
to Keep up the roads. 1t is a work |
that concerns the people of the whole |
State and is not a local question. |
Roadsar of vital interest to the cities. |
Blockade your county roads to-day, |
and tomorrow your city will scatter.
The benefits of good roads are equally |
shared by the cities, but they must
assist in the work of construction be-
fore they can reap the advantages.
"About three-fourths of the proper
ry interests of the country are to be
'ound in the cities, and held by the
,ornoratiOns. Now, the farmers, rep
'esan+ing about One-fOurth of the
lroportv interests, have been endeav-
no TO keep up the roads for the whole
ountrv. The result is obvious. The
,prdan was too much, and bad roads
re to be found everywhere. Farmers
ave even resisted any attempt to
qualize the burdens, and seemed to
,ok upon such moves as cOncealing
,me scheme that would work to
heir injury. a bill in the New York
epislature which provided that the
tate pay one-half of the cost of road
was defeated by the
.ruers because of such prejudice.
''There exists in some places strong
,ae+iey yy-ee employing convicts up
. pnblic roads. A happy solution
I this difficulty, however, presents
self. Employ your convicts in pre-
armg material for building good
Dads. This has been tried in num-
er OF States, and has proven to be an
cOnomical as we'll as healthful way
working cOnvicts. am satisfied
hat Maryland could employ its short
erm prisoners and House of Correc-
ion inmates in this way and deliver
Oad material at fifty cents ton in
ny part of the State. From tests
lade at the Agricultural Department |
Is shown that some of the best road |
laterlal i'll the world can be had in |
huhdance in many sections of your
tate' With convicts preparing the
Material, free labor could be employ
d to "a greater extent in placing it
pom the roads.
nat you need is some State
uthorlty to supervise this work of
Improving your roads. 1t may sug-
est Itself in the way of a State Com
llsslon or State engineer. Rhode
'land cognizes the Importance of