The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1902-04-11
Better Road rlethods,

AOSS Va
from every region of the State loud
complaint of the unfitness of the roads
This complaint, although repeated in
Maryland for many springs, will not be
repeated forever. The farmer and the
villager are coming everywhere to feel
that something is lacking to the scheme
which supplies them with bitches of mud
or ridges of sand to lightentheir loads and
lengthen their journeys. This feeling of
lack must finally lead in every case to
right search for its remedy. This search
has begun in some cases already. Balti-
more county has All enlightened road law
and its highways are under the care of
one man who knows how they ought to
be treated and is responsible for all mis-
takes he may make. HI is making use
of such aid as the Highway Division of
the Maryland Geological Survey can give
him. Only few weeks ago the best
interests of Cecil county assembled in
Elktou to talk about roads. They are
now agitating for the best methods that
the best advice can suggest to them. They
too have called OH the Highway Division.
The Commissioners of Howard county
have had the cooperation of the Mary
land Geological Survey in two important
pieces of work. In Hartford county the
Woolsey road is coming to completion
under the Highway Divisions specifca-
tons. Prince Georges new law puts the
improvement of the roads leading from
the District Of Columbia, and to be main
tanned by the liquor license fees, under
the direction of the Survey. New road
legislation has also been under considera-
ton in Wicomico and elsewhere.
Technical skill i'll road craft, individual
authority and responsibility, breadth of
plan and thoroughness of purpose, are
the chief lacks i'll the Maryland highway
system, as it is seen by A. N Johnson,
the Highway engineer of the Maryland
Geological Survey. Mr.. Johnson came to
Maryland from the Massachusetts High
way Commission. Massachusetts is noted
for the most perfect system of highways
i'll the United States, and for the most
improved methods of maintaining her
superiority. The Maryland engineer is
familiar, therefore, with the traditions
and practices of road administration held
and followed where roads are best. His
duties i'll connection with the State Geo
logical Survey the past two years have
sent him all over Maryland and before
the commissioners of nearly all its
CLOSE study of the roads and road
in all the counties of the State"
says Mr.. johnson, has satisfied me that
most of the road funds, as applied at
present, are wasted. But it also conviuces
ME that there is practica! remedy for
the scant improvement in the roads of the
State, for which more than half million
dollars is paid annually. That the pres
ent system prevailing in most of the
counties does not Improve the roads from
year to year no one doubts. The import
ant point to establish is remedy within
the means of the county treasures. After
much study of all the conditions affecting
both the administration and methods
used under the present systems there no
longer remains any doubt concerning the
cause of the failure of these methods. 1t
is the dissipation of funds each year over
too much road
Such method can never result in
any Improvement from year to year. 1t
may be trBe that the road tax of single
county is not sufficient to improve in
manner all the county's roads.
Yet the tax in all the'eounties is enough
to improve properly parts of all the roads
AT present each of the 100 or 800 super
visors i'll county is allotted, say, $40
mile. What does he do with it in most
instances Find the worst place in his
piece of road and improve it in thorough
manner even if 100 yards consumes all
his appropriation? On the contrary he
usually spreads his money over the whole
extent OF that piece Of road with the OBJ
ject of making as much of show as pos
sible. All that is now accomplished with
half million dollars each year is little
useless scratching of the road beds. I'll
the supervisors will concentrate their
efforts to improve only small part of the
road under their charge, so that next year
will bear evidence to the work done this
year, then we shall see real Improvement
in the roads.
In order to reach the best results there
must be general system outlined and
intelligent direction can be secured only
by the employment of skilled road en-
gineer, or road-builder, for each county,
or perhaps of one for two adjoining conn
ties, who would have general charge OF all
the Improvements. In other words, put
the road expenditures on a business basis.
How much would be accomplished BY
number Of workmen on large building.
each one left TO build here or there accord
ing to his own ideas? The structure that
would result would be a fitting monument
to the present road-system.
I'm addition TO pointing ont defects
and giving general advice, usually ad
United as all we'll enough but some
times termed not practical, the High
way Division of the Maryland Geological
Survey IS ready to give practical aid with
practical suggestions which will result in
a real and substantial improvement to the
roads without additional tax levies. The
services of the Division are at the disposal
of the county officials without charge.
When necessary, surveys and plans are