The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1902-04-11
Public Highways.

This complaint, although repeated IL
Maryland for many springs, will not be
repeated forever The farmer and the
villager are coming everywhere to Zee
that 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 feel
ing 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 and is responsible for all
mistakes 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 the best in
| terests of Cecil county assembled in Elk
ton 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 Highway Division.
The Commissioners of Howard county
have had the cooperation of the Maryland
Geological Survey in two important
pieces of work. In Hartford county the
Woolsey road is coming to completion
under the Highway Divisions specitca-
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 Wlcomico and elsewhere.
Tecbical skill in road craft, individual
authority and responsibility, breadth of
plan and thoroughness of purpose, are the
chief lacks in the Maryland highway sys-
TEN, as it is seen by Mr.. A. N. johnson,
the Highway engineer of the Maryland
Geological Survey. Mr.. johnson came to
Maryland from the Massachusetts, Highway
Commission. Massachusetts is noted for
the most perfect system of highways
in the United States, and for the most
improved methods of maintaining her
su periority The Maryland engineer is
familiar, therefore, with the traditions
and practices of road administration held
and followed where roads are best. His
duties in 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 coun-
ties.
"Closc study of the road methods in all
the counties of the State" says MIR. john
son, ''has satisfied me that most of the road
funds, as applied at present, are wasted.
But it also convinces me that there is a
practical remedy for the scant improve
ment in the roads of the State, for which
more than half a million dollars is paid
annually. That the present system pre-
vailing in most of the counties does not
improve the roads from year to year no
one doubts.
The important point to establish is a
remedy within the means of the county
treasures. After much study of all the
conditions affecting both the adminstra-
ton and methods used under the systems
| there no longer remains any doubt con-
corning the cause of the failure Of these
methods. 1t is the dissipation of funds
| each year over too much road.
such a method can never result in any
improvement from year to year, 1t may
be true that the road tax of single coun-
ty is not sufficient to improve in a sub
stantial manner all the county roads Yet
the tax in all the counties is enough to inn
prove properly puts of all the roads. At
present each of the 100 or 300 supervisors
in county is allotted, say, $50 mile.
What does he do with it in most in
stances? Find the worst place in his
piece of road and improve it in a thorough
manner even if 100 yards consumes all
his appropriation? On the contrary he
| usually spreads his money over the whole
extent of that price, of road with the OBJ
| ject of making as much of a show as posi-
ble All that is now accomplished with
| half million dollars each year is a little
| useless scratching of the road beds. If
| the supervisors will concentrate their eff
| forts to improve only small part of the
road under their charge, so that next year
| will bear evidence to the work done this
! year, wnen we shall see real Improvement
| in the roads.
"In order to reach the best results there
must be general system outlined and in
tclligent direction can be secured only by
| the employment of a skilled road engi-
neer, or road builder, for each county, or
| perhaps of one for two adjoining coun-
| ties, who would have general charge of
| all the improvements. In other words,
put the road expenditures on business
basis How much would be accomplished
by number of workmen on large build
ing, each one left to build here or there
according to his own ideas? The struc-
ture that would result would be a tittin g
monument to the present road-system.
In addition to pointing out defects and
giving general advice, usually admitted as
all well enough, but sometimes termed
mot practical, the Highway Division of
the Maryland Geological Survey is ready
to give practical aid with practical sug-
gestions which will result in a real and
substantial Improvement to the roads
without additional tax levies. The ser.
vices of the Division are at the dispC sal
of the county officials without charge
When necessary, surveys and plans are
made and, if any considerable amount OF
work is to be done on piece of road. 6
supervision of the construction will be
undertaken. The State offers to the
counties skilled aid in the improvement
of their roads and it only remains for thu
county officials to avail themselves Of thi:
opportunity that this advantage may b,
secured to the people, to whom it be
longs
Beware of OintmentS for C:ltarrl
that Contain Mercury,