The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1900-04-05
OUR PUBLIC COUNTY ROADS.
An Exhaustive Paper by a Correspondent
of The Republican.

An Exhaustive Paper by Correspondent
of The Republican.
To the Editor of The Republican.
In the first place, it may be well to
state that we believe there has been
no improvement in the condition Of
our county roads during the past de-
cade, but that our road supervisors
are doing the best they know how to
| give us better roads. Any adverse
criticism, then, that we may make
will be directed toward the system,
and not against the road manage
ment.
The most striking and objectiona-
bic feature about our system of road
maintenance is the temporary char
acter Of the greater part of the work
which is expended on the roads. The
same ground is gone over, and the
same methods applied, from year to
year, without attaining any adequate,
permanent results. If double the
amount of money were expended in
the same way it is easy to see that
the result, so far as its permanency
is concerned, would be about the
same. There is something radically
wrong with system of road improve
ment which will not show increased
results from increasd expenditures.
1t is worth while, therefore, to in
quire if any methods are in use for
permanently improving the ordinary
dirt roads. To this inquiry there is
an emphatic reply in the affirmative.
OF course, dirt roads, like stone roads,
will require constant attention, even
under the most improved systems;
but, if properly made, the same work
need not be repeated every year, as
is now the case in our county. In
many of the level sections of the west,
where stones are not obtainable, and
where the soil is less favorable than
ours for good roads, the dirt roads are
so constructed that they remain hard
and smooth nine months of the year,
ShAAN dullhSS bhC lhItC
months their condition gives much
less cause for complaint than the av-
erage condition of our dirt roads dur
ing the four winter months of the
year. In order to obtain these re-
suits the roads must be provided with
a thorough system of under drainage,
and great attention must be given to
grading.
This method, however, calls for the
expenditure, at first, of from three
hundred to six hundred dollars per
mile, or nearly one half the amount
required to macadamize the road so
that when good stones can be obtain
ed at reasonable figures it is found to
be much more advisable, and more
economical in the end, to use stones,
inasmuch as the expense of repairs
would be less and more satisfactory
roadway would be secured. 1t is un-
necessary, therefore, to consume time
and space in describing in detail these
improved methods of making dirt
roads. Any plans which do not look
forward to the ultimate macadamiz-
ing of our county roads are mere
makeshifts, and meet the disapprov
al of the best informed and most
widely experienced road experts. The
most progressive, wide awake coun-
ties have inaugurated the macadam-
lied system of road construction, and
the longer we delay in getting started
in the same direction, the greater the
lead these other counties will gain
over us. Our county is much better
situated than most counties for build
ing stone roads. The recent report
of the Maryland State Geological Sur
vey shows that road material of good
quality is distributed over large area
of the county, and the expense of
hauling would not be great. To ad-
vocate a complete system of stone
roads for our county is not chimerical
and visionary; it is far-sighted ecom-
omy and practically demonstrated
common sense.
To properly macadamize the county
roads is not the work of day nor of
a year, but of many years, and the
work should not be undertaken hasti-
ly. The preliminary steps alone
might easily cover period of five
years, and it is this work which the
county should now be engaged in in
stead of spending so much money in
improvements which are mostly tenn
porary. Even should it be decided
not to proceed with the macadamiz-
ing of the roads after the roadbed is
prepared for, the stones, the prelimi-
nary work, when completed, would
be OF much greater value than the
work which is now being done.
The first step in the preliminary
work should be the regarding and re-
locating of many sections of the roads.
Very often there is hill on public