The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1897-12-31
\ GOOD-ROlDS LEADER.

recent session of the Maryland State
Grange to the question of good roads.
Some resolutions were adopted which en-
list the organization as an active factor in
the movement to better the highways of
the State.
Gen. Roy Store, of Washington. head
Of the good-rcads bureau of the United
States Agricultural Department, was the
chief speaker, and he was followed with
close interest. He said:
"Our department is concerned i'll having
good roads in Maryland and Virginia, be-
cause we want to show them as object
lessons. Unfortunately, these two States
have probably the worst roads IN the
country. \ great part Of your highways
are entirely neglected. Money is paid fer
supervision which does not supervise, and
for labor which doesn't work.
You spend annually in this State $780,
600 year, and get no practical results.
Skillful supervision is the great need OF
this State in the work of road improve
ment. Farmers are now suffering tax
equal to 81 an acre year because of bad
roads Can the farmers of this State at
ford to allow this to continue? This fig
ure is not guessed at, but is the result of
careful investigation. This waste is due
to the condition of the highways of the
country 1t is estimated that the cost of
hauling on the common roads of the coun-
try amounts to one thousand millions of
dollars Il year, and that two thirds OF this
immense sum could be saved with a com
plete system of roads. Do you realize that
the greatest share of the evils of bad times
is due to the condition Of our highways?
Go visit a section where the roads are good
and kept so, and you will find people
unaffected by bad times.
Il find that the question of State aid Is
eliminated in Maryland by constitutional
provision which prohibits the use Of State
funds for such purpose. Get up a senti-
mcnt strong enough and amend your con-
stitution, like other States are doing. 1t
to keep up the roads. 1t is a work that
concerns the people of the whole State,
and is not IA local question. Roads are of
vital interest to the cities. Blockade your
county roads to-day, and to- morrow your
city will begin to scatter. The benefits of
good roads are equally shared by the cities,
but they must assist in the work of con-
struction before they can reap the advan-
tages.
About three-fourths of the property in
tcrests of the country are to be found i'll
the cities, and held by the corporations.
Now, the farmers, representing about
one fourth of the property interests, have
been endeavoring to keep up the roads for
the whole country The result is obvious.
The burden was too much, and bad roads
are to be found everywhere. Farmers
have even resisted any attempt to cqualiZe
the burdens, and seemed to look upon
such moves as concealing some scheme
that would work to their injury. \ bill
III tuC w" L VI ~ "h'Sh nv
vided that the State pay onehalf of the
cost Of road improvements, was defeated
by the farmers because of such a prejudice.
There exists in some places strong OBJ
iections to employing convicts upon pub
lie roats. A happy solution of this diff
Guilty, however, presents itself. Employ
:otc in ofp ria1 for
building good roads. This has been tried
in number of States, and has proven to
be an economical as we'll as healthful way
of working convicts. l am satisfied that
Maryland could employ its short-tcrm
prisoners and House of Correction in
mates in this way and deliver road mater
ial at fifty cents a ton in any part of the
State From tests made at the Agricul-
tural Department it is shown that some of
the best road material in the world can Ec
had in abundance ill many sections of
your State. With convicts preparing the
material, free labor could be employed to
a greater extent in placing it upon the
roads
"What you need is some State authority
to supervise this work of improving your
roads. 1t may suggest itself in the way of
a State commission or a State engineer.
Rhode Island recognizes the importance
of skilled supervision by establishing dc
partment in the State Agricultural College
to educate young men for this work.
Suppose it does cost the State $25, 900 or
$50, 900 for State engineers department.
What can the objection be when your
5000, 900 year. which is now practically
wasted, is well and intelligcntly spent?
This alone more than pays the cost of such
a department. One thing experience has
proven, and that is that it is utterly futile
to leave the building of highways to loca,-
tiles
THE proposed postal savings deposi
tories offer possibilities for funds to i'm
prove the roads. What to do with the
funds of such repositories seems to be a
most important consideration. Invest
them in bonds issued for the Improvement
of county roads, under skilled supervision,
and double benefit will be conferred The
money deposited will thus go out among
people thrifty enough to save, and Sc
curity obtained of unquestioned integrity.
"Other States have got good roads
through good legislation, and you must
your legislators that the State of
is entitled to just as good legis-
lation as any other State of the Union.
You must stir them up at home and follow
them up to Annapolis. You have selected
them and given them power and opportu
nifty to find out for you what is the best.
The problem is being solved in many
States and in many ways, all satisfactory
to the farmers of those States. 1t is for
them to find out which way is the best and
best adapted to conditions in this State
;nt