The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1903-12-25
The Proposed Road Law.

MR.. ED1ToR:-In the issue of THE En-
QuIRER of December 4th you published a
synopsis of a proposed road law to be
submitted to the coming State Legislature
this winter, and I take it that the ques-
ton is O open. for. discussion and
amendment, if thought best to amend.
There is no doubt in the minds Of any
one that has given the subject any thought
that the present road law of this county
needs a thorough overhauling. Still, l
think the present law was a move in the
right direction, so far as taking the con-
troll of the roads out Of the hands Of the
County Con- issioners. And, if l could
have my way, I would never go back to
that old system, but would abolish the
Board of County Commissioners and in
their stead elect one commissioner or SUI
pervisor from each district to act upon
the county Board, thus giving each dis
trict a representation and a say in county
affairs.
I think there should be three road trus-
VOSo Va >AS"SA
or elected by the votes of each district q
mean three for each district), and these
trustees should be a corporate body and
empowered to levy a road and bridge tax,
subject to a legal limit, and provide for
the expanding of the same and should
have entire charge of the roads and
bridges in their respective W or dis
tricts. But the old adage holds good in
this case as in others, that "half a loaf
is better than no bread" And taking it
for granted that the people are not ready
to revolutionize their entire county gov
eminent, I would do the next best thing
and amend Section 4 of the proposed law
so as to read, "Said trustees shall hold
regular meetings on the first Tuesday OF
March and October, and may hold special
meetings upon the call of the President
Of the Board or upon the call of the other
two members, and that said trustees shall
be entitled to a compensation of 81 so per
day for all time actually put in in attend.
ing to the duties of their Office as road
trustees"
| would make this amendment because
| don't think a man should be asked to
serve the public in any capacity without
something to compensate him for the time
he actually serves. One fifty per day
would be a small bill, and few men would
seek the Office for the small amour of
money! he could get out of it.
l see that the Evansville Farmers Club
proposes an amendment to this Section
by appointing one trustee instead of three
and to pay him a salary. While l think
one good man more efficient than three,
the objection is that if you get a bad man
or an inefficient one he can do much harm
before you get rid of him, and where there
are three they hold each other in check.
l would also amend Section 12 so as to
read, "Whenever the cost of construction
or repair of any bridge or piece of road
shall exceed $15 the work shall be done
by contract, ETC." The original reads
5000. The objection to this is that there
are but few bridges in the county that
should cost 5000, and I would make all
work subject to competitive bidding, ex-
cept little repairs that have to be done
where there is not time to advertise and
get bids and let contracts before the work
should be done.
I give these as my ideas and I think a
discussion of this matter through the
press of the county will bring out ideas
and assist in formulating a much better
road law than would otherwise be formu-
lated.
There are few States in the Union that
do not have better roads than We here in
Maryland, right under the dome of the
capitol of the nation, and few counties in
Maryland that have as poor roads as those
in Prince Georges county. And as Prince
Georges county has one of the best soils
to construct roads upon of any State in
the Union, I think it fair to conclude that
the w%retched roads of Prince Georges
county are due to a bad system of road
laws let US get the best road laws possible
then I think we will soon nave as good
roads as we can find anywhere.
Hardesty, Nd. E. P. GIBBS.