Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1902-04-19

The Maryland Geological Survey has
sent out the following interesting
article:
Better direction and more intelligent
labor on the public highways are sub
jects now occupying public considera-
tion in every county of Maryland With
the passage of the frost of the winter
comes from every region of the State a
loud complaint of the roads. This COM
plant. although repeated inMaryland for
many springs, will not be repeated for
ever. The farmer and the villager are
coming everywhere to feel something
is lacking to the scheme which supplies
them with bitches of mud or ridges of
sand to tighten their loads and lengthen
their journeys. This feeling of lack
must finally lead in every case to a right
search for its remedy This search has
begun in some cases already. Baltimore
county has an enlightened road law and
its highways are under the care of one
man who knows how they ought to be
treated aud is responsible for all mis-
takes he may make. He is making use
of such aid as the Highway Division of
the Maryland Geological Survey can give
him. Only few weeks ago some of
the best citizens of Cecil county assem-
bled i'll Elkton to talk about roads. They
are now agitating for the best methods
that the best advice can suggest to them.
They too have called on the Hihgway
Division The commissioners of How
ard county have had the cooperation of
the Maryland Geological Survey in two
important places of work. Technical
skill i'll road craft, individual authority
and responsibility, breadth of plan and
thoroughness of purpose are the chief
lacks in the Maryland highway system.
as it is seen by Mr. a. n johnson, the
highway engineer of the Maryland Ge-
ological 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 main.
tanning her superiority The Maryland
engineer is familiar, therefore. with the
traditions and practices of road admin
istration held and followed where roads
are best His duties i'll connection with
the State Geological Survey the past
two years have sent him all over Mary
land and before the commissioners of
nearly all its counties. "Close study of
the roads and road methods in all coun-
ties of the State, says Mr.. Johnson.
has satisfied me that most of the road
funds, as applied at present, are wasted.
But it also convinces me that there is
practical remedy for the scant improve
ment i'll the roads of the State, for which
more than half million dollars is paid
annually. That the present system
prevailing i'll most of the counties does
not improve the roads from year to year.
no one doubts. The important points to
establish is remedy within the means
of the county treasures. After much
study of all the conditions affecting both
the administration methods used under
the present systems, there no longer re-
mains any doubt concerning the cause
and 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 true that the road tax
of single county is not sufficient to inn
prove i'll substantial manner all the
countys roads. Yet the tax in all the
counties Is enough to improve properly
pdrtS of all the roads. At present each
of the 100 or 300 supervisors III IA county
is allotted. say $50 mile What does
he do with it in most instances Find
the worst place i'll his piece of road and
if 100 yards consumes all his appropria-
ton: On the contrary, he usually
spreads his money over the whole ex-
tent of that piece of road with the object
of making as much of show as pos.
sible. All that is now accomplished
half il million dollars each year is lit
tie useless scratching of the road beds
Ii 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 for one or two adjoining
counties, who would have charge of all
the improvements. In other words. put