The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1903-11-27

dience in Rising Sun hall last Fri
day afternoon, under the auspices
of the Sixth District Road League
and the Cecil Farmers Club. His
address dealt with the proposed
oyster culture and good roads bills
of which he is the author. The
subjects were interesting ones to
his audience and many availed
themselves of the invitation to in
terrogate the speaker for further
particulars on any details at the
conclusion of his address. Mr..
Haman stated that the proposed
bills were entirely non partisan,
there being no such thing as dem
ocratic oyster or a republican good
road, and he hoped the measures
would be viewed solely on their
merits as an advantage to the cit
liens of the State. Before the
meeting adjourned the following res
Olution was unanimously adopted !:
Resolved. That the plan to lease the
barren bottoms of the Chesapeake bay
and to apply the revenues thus arising to
the building of modern roads throughout
the State, as explained by Mr.. B. Howard
Haman, has our hearty approval, and
that our representatives i'll the Senate and
the House of Delegates of Maryland are
requested to vote and use their influence
for the passage of the Hanan Oyster and
Road bills. We are in favor also of an
appropriation as proposed by the bill pre-
pared by a committee, of which Mr..
Samuel Shoemaker is the chairman. We
believe the oyster aud appropriation fea
lures should be included in whatever
Road bill is passed."
In his address Mr.. Haman said
in part:
Maryland is favored State in climate
and in SOIL Nature has poured her bless
ings upon us with lavish hand. This is
not only rich and productive State,
Astounding in grain and fruits Of many
kinds, but it is also a region of diversi-
fed and attractive landscapes. Some
views in Hartford county are as fine as
England is not more picturesque than are
the mountain glades of Western Mary
land. The tranquil beauty CT Cecil and
Kent is strikingly suggestive of the mid
land counties of the old county. Of what
avail, however, is all this rural wealth
and beauty when the farmers of the State
are without proper means of trausporta-
ton for their crops, and when they, and
their families, at certain times OF the year,
are as effectually hemmed in, through
lack of proper roads, as they could be by
Chinese walls. The great grass farms of
Deer Greek, the noble manors of Cecil,
and the charming farms of Kent, lie in
accessible to investors and northern seek
ers of summer homes, not because of their
remoteness from the markets of the
country, but on account of their bad
highways. These counties of our State
need an "open door" as much as Man
churia. What would it not mean to Har-
ford if there were modern road from
Z Havre de Grace to Darlington, and thence
to Bel Air? The farms of Cecil and of
my native Kent would be far more desir-
able as homes, if there were system of
good roads, or even one smooth, hard
and durable highway running from the
Pennsylvania line through Elkton to
Chestertown. The day of automobiles is
at hand. Scientific processes are now in
course of perfection, which, within the
next ten years, will make these machines
as cheap as carriages are now. When that
time comes, the pent up population of our
great cities will pour into the country,
and counties having the best roads will be
the most sought after. Shall we begin
our road system now, or will we lag in
the rear of progress? The farmers of this
State want to begin now. They have
made up their minds that something has
to be done for them. What is this ''some-
thing" which will really be of advantage
to them, and not detrimental to the inter-
ests of other citizens of the State?
The general system of road laws now
IN force in the counties of Maryland needs
to be changed. 1t is probable that of the
100000 spent every year on roads in
Maryland at the present time $500, GOO
are wasted. The old road system ought
to be changed and modern, up.to-date
system substituted, just as Mayor McLane
is proposing to make of our old city OF
Baltimore new and progressive town.
This should afford an attractive field for
effort on the part of our young men, such
as Senator German of Howard county, or
Senator Perkins of Baltimore city. This,
however, is not the plan am proposing.
very large movement, headed by
men like Mr.. Samuel Shoemaker and
Mr.. w. w. Crosby, of Baltimore county,
and DIR. Richard S. Hill of Prince
Georges county, is in progress, having
for its object the obtention of State aid
Tor the improvement of our roads along
scientific lines. The proposed legislation
to effect these results has been prepared
with the assistance of DIR. William Bull
lock Clark, of the Johns Hopkins Univer-
sity. This movement also has my SYM
pathy. 1t was begun years ago by Gustav
w Iurman EuUAue Riact ford aud ,,,apx,