The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1899-04-21

| increase in &. NeS fer Improvement of the roads
| | believe the Commissioners would gladly Hc
| cept the help of the Leagues. Good road
| would help property and sell farms"
}. q. Durhnm-"I have not had much eype
rieuce, but the roads W" fixed last fall hnVC
| been greatly improved. We dug ditch anC
laid tile ana put two feet of stone on top of tht
| tile, then covered this up with dirt and piket
around it. Il IS wearing nicely, although there
has been soiEc very GcHry hauling over it,
| think the foundation OF Il road is the i'll pUrtan
uart and should be the place fixed first VIZ
liked about l6G of road and made 900 yards o
ditch, ut II cost of about S325, outside of LlI
cost of tile. (the plant cosG most of the mGucy.
think the roller is Il good thing for stone rUaGs
but not so good for dirt "t.es. Another impor
| tant thing about Our roads is the drains, the,
| should be kept open, which III most cases is no
done.
| tant question and very difficult to deal with
Nothing marks progress OF Il county like III
public roads. How 10 get them and how gOot
they TO be rests with the people. | know
| the Commissioners ar" criticized, but in Thu
main it rests with the people, they do what TIN
people want. The pe0pl, don't take enough
| Road Leagues, but not in every kim
of Road League; l believe i'll pushiu.
business men taxing hold OF It and awaken
ing interest. Every farmer can help by givin;
labor and men. know some have done gOot
| work, especially the Bel Air Road League.
don't know whether the Commissioners ART
opposed to it Eot, but tlia< the people shouiC
| take it up. We spend about SD 900 a year fo
all the improvements There are, believe
about 700 miles Of road i'll Hartford county.
have felt that we have often g0tt II but 81
cents on the dollar FROM road members. thnl
| the main roads should be mace permanent IA
soon as possible | believe the are very few
men in Hartford county VINO know how to pu
down IL permanent road. II should be dont
| Systematically ana under Intelligent supervi
| sion. The CONDITION Of the roads rests with the
people, not with the Commissioners. lI;t tho
Leagues organize and MI sure the Commits
S.Ourrs will nclp."
Walter iIinEey-"I am glad to be here as
1 t1,..., 4
sorry c:,unot help out C!' the subject. bcionl
totwo LeagueSund am Il i!rm believer in thea,
| I travel the roads good deal and know goGt
from bad. The nearest get to recommending
is to shave some ones cheek when he needs
money"
spent in Hartford on the roads. Money coulC
bs spent on the roads hcneiicinlly. The money
spent yearly, by September, has been wasted
! ard no good results II is the same old STORY
year after year. oar lands are rich and roads
bad. Jhc people should study the subject anG
see that the money is not wasted. The County
Commissioners are rot to 6iaIre, as the people
are ut them 30 save moi.er and they can't dc il
except ut the expense OF road. Railroads
benefit certain sections, bur good roads benefit
the whole county, bring people and increase.
the value of farms. People should see that
money is spent RIGHTLY. not wasted. Let thi:
Club start the subject, call H!eeting and put
it before the people. ana we Will certainly have
q response. AR in favor OF good roads ana ex
John S. Webster-''Tt IS a very old aging that
children should be seen and not heard have
been a member of this Club for seven or eight
wears and am very often seen but not often
heard / agree with MIR ieckord that 1t don I
make any difference whether we get the money
from the State or county. Am in favor of good
roads at any cost D."
W. w. Preston-'I have no experience; came
MS guest and have enjoyed the discussion very
much Am Interested in roads, and finding
could not get smooth roses got vehicle
with Rubber tires. The i!UslntY Com nisslontr rs
are between two fires, they cannot appropriate
more money And what the can give us should
be Intelligent y applied. We should learn how
10 repair bad places and prCv Mt them. The
roads should be kept ii repair eight or tel!
months out OF the year. DruinuTe il the rene
lnissioners are unjustty criticized at times. We
should not rely OH the County Commissioners
in any way, but GO ahead Let the Leagues dc
tic work themselves
.Iohn Mo9reS-'I uev~r attended a Road
meeting bcforc but they S"Sied tho Commission.
err, SO / will begin. We want SUPERVISORS OF
roads capable OF doing the work, not as they
now are. The Leagues gave their time rtely
There are few men able 10 work roads. rare
ly find intelligent road SUPERVISORS. mendInR
roads and JrkiEg roads are two distinct
things only know of two good road members
aud they work for our League. There is not
one mile of road in Hartford county properly
constructed: am satisfied of that. Foundation
is the principle thing. The Commissioners
should be made to attend to the roads them
selves: the farmers are moi nj TO attend TO them
Supervision is What IL ealing up the money"
w. T. Sawyer-"l was invited to meet the
Farmers Clur, but when came and saw Bank
Presidents. Presidents of building Associations
and wide-"%ake edit9r, lawyers ana re.
porter, | am afraid miGht be printed. Every
one knows i ar iii favor of good roads.
don't think the Commissioners are as bad Is
some peop!f think.
A. f. Jii ibr.ath-.'I am glad to be with you
and think the thoughts expressed here are eX.
cellent. The roads OF Hartford county III the
last twenty-five years have improves woEder'
bat we have Sonic roads i'll our section on
which we can -how decided Improvement. FEG
Darlington Road League started the stone
crusber and benefited TO a large extent
Nothing can take the place of Road Leagues
for Improvement OF roa1s. Build up the
Leagues and you have the interest already
formed, as each man stirs up Ills own friends
and neighborS. II we cam OF get Ill we ask foi
we should not be discouraged. we have ne
com plaint against the Ou1ty commissioners
ana what we have gotten we have spent
iudiciouSiy and the road are improved. VIZ
heard the Pei Air Road League was about tl
quit; we were surpri.ed and wanted to send
word down To urge It's not d"lng So. Stlci
together and keep ut it and we Will have good
roads. Spend good part ol the money IN per
manent in provements."
+. IL. Hail. would say am in favor OF
Road Leagues and think they have done great
deal of good. 1t has been due t. the Bel Ali
Road League that success has been accomplish.
Cd. We SHOULD have the interest OF the people
who should contribute, and we would have the
improvements. Now we want piSing done on
MAN thoroughfare every year. The commits
liberal, considering the complaints OF high taxes
and they appreciate what the Leagues have
doae; The criticism genteirailyy, comes from
people who never do aHythlDE.
Geo L. VanRibher--'T am an ardent advo
cate of Road Leagues. and heartily approve oil
he theory and system; hope the interest IL
them will not abate. | gee and hear mucn OF
the improvements made By the Road Leagues
Am satisfied hat under the TOAD Leagues the
funds have been well haTtdled mnd with groc
results. On behalf cf tine County Commission
| r,fNtt ~
crease tiXea over une per cent, nor would
spend auy money unless under intelligent
supervision, 1 mean for permanent improve
meuts. Money can he wasted like pouring
water cut of 9 bucket
w. w. Finney-"i believe in permanent road
like the stone road, and think Bel Air would b!
good place to start. think Leagues should
he formed at every village and then start AM
work from their villages"
&. Smith Norris II Gon't see what is left fol
me to say, but endorse what others have said
| have belonged to the Bel Air League for three
years The trouble we lind is luke-warmres
| and lack OF interest Good roads require ;
| good deal of money and it is hard to get. | fee
| that the best thing!to do in our neighborhoot
| is to urge organization in every section. Every
| one advocates permanent improvements.
| can add no more"
| j. Alexis SEriyer-''It seems unanimous tina
| we want good roads, but how are We 10 ge
| them? My idea is that as far as possible it Is
| tect for his house, SO we should get an ex
pcrieDced man to build roads. We should pu
money in permanent roads. By fixing ten o.
fifteen miles annually We would soon hav'
| every road in good order. If you improve tn,
| roads you attract people TO the county"
| J. L.. Kelly-'l haven't much to say; its no
| much use. Mr.. Durham's ideas are mine; b.
has explained just what we experienced ii
| building the road. con find no fault with TN
| Road Leagues, because when j am out o
| work am glad to get job under them; but
dont Iant 5 fney to get my
| Supper was here announced The Club AM
! and enjoyed an elaborate supper, after Whlcl
| the discussion WAS resumed. the first gentleman
| called on being Mr.. w. B, Hopkins, whose re
| marks follow:
| no League in our country. Am in favor O
| good roads add favor taxation to make goo
| roads. Itwon't cost much to put them in order
the principal highways should be piked; til
| way it is now done is money thrown away.
\ think an engineer would be Il benefit to tn
| county and would save money in the long run
| believe road supervisors are humbuRs." (M
! Moores, mo doubt sou
| +. H. Jacobs-"GlaG to be here as membe
of the Club, being new member. l am inter
ested in roads more now than before. ! thin
if all roads were in the hands of a mender
! would be better. Have nothing to suggest, bu
think if the farmers would get out and work
! would be beneficial. ] am in favor of koa
| Leagues and believe they do good work, bu
people don't take interest; they need stifrin
up"
ject surely. l think the fault generally lay
with the people. Idon't condemn the Commi:
sioners; think people should do for themselvC
and Commissioners will meet them. Wor
should be done in permanent way, we want II
more dirt on the roads. The scraper is the bet
instrument to use on the roads. The trouble
with the people, the county fathers are ready t
meet them. We don'o do us much as we shoult
Good roads add to the value of property.
our roads were but ten or twelve feet wide an
properly built, they would be elega ant in winte
and doubly so in summer
| J. n Hoopes-"l think the course of Leagu
work i'll Bel Air has been the proper one; ther
has been few facts more beneficial to the cour
ty. Money iudiciously spent, in the banda c
experienced men, would show large benefit
To dishand the Leagues would be a step bacl
ward; all Leagues have been advantageol
wherever organized. Money that has hereto
fore been wasted could be saved if put in tn
hands of experienced men. have been fore