The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1903-09-10


been done in Western Maryland can
be done in the rest of the State. Elk
| periments to which attention has
been called before have established
the value and cheapness of construc-
| ton of good roads. The benefits re-
sulting multiply themselves in many
directions, all tending to the general
building up of communities and conse-
quent enhancing of realty values.
And the builder of the present day
shares swith posterity the comforts
and advantages of such highways
system.
There is an object-lesson for Mary
/ land in Massachusetts, where, under
the direction of a public highways
commission, most excellent roads are
! constructed and maintained-roads
| which have sent their fame abroad
and attracted comment everywhere.
The way it is done there is told in the
following excerpt from a recent article
on the subject:
From 1894 to 1900, seven years,
Massachusetts spent $3,500,00 in good
roads, and the maintenance cost the
Commonwealth something less than
800, 900, according to the report of
the commission in 1901. This is re-
markedly small cost for repairs, when
it is understood that the commission
considers maintenance and repairs of
utmost importance. Fill rut be-
fore it becomes a ruiz is an irish way
of expressing the commissions policy.
In the selection of roads to be builded
the commissioners are restricted, first,
by the law that provides that "all con-
struction of State roads shall be fairly
apportioned among the different coun-
ties" and, secondly, it has to wait the
petitions of the municipalities or the
county commissioners. The aim is to
make the roads continuous, and this
they can accomplish only by rejecting
the petitions which may block the
general scheme, or by counseling
with those having the right to petit
ton in advance of their formal re-
quests.
when the county town or city
officials decide that 1.-The public neces-
sity and convenience" require the
Commonwealth to take charge OF a
new or an existing road as State
road theycan petition the commission.
If the commission makes it a State
highway, then the road is constructed
and maintained at the Commonwealth
expenses. The State even pays the
property damages. In return, the
county repays to the Commonwealth
one-quarter of the money expended
for roads in its borders. This is paid
within six years with 3 per cent inter
est. The commission plants shade
trees along the highways when feast
BILE, and also establishes watering
troughs.
This seems a very liberal arrange
ment from the county's point of view,
but it must be borne in mind that
these State roads are only a small
portion of those needed in a wealthy
community. So many miles of high
way are builded by the counties them
selves; particularly is this the case
when the people have had the object
lesson of few miles of State roads.
When a county or town under $4,000
would build for itself, the commission
lends at its own expense stem rollers,
portable crushers and all other road
building machinery necessary. Erec-
ton of poles laying of pipe or digging
in these highways is forbidden except
county or city authorities have given
consent and then only in accordance
with the regulations of the commiss-
sion.
And so there are endless laws to
make road building and road main
tenance easy and to make road de-
struction costly. In ten years the
State has been lined with smooth
highways. Not the kind that run on
section lines, but roads that generally
follow the natural contour of the land;
a method that is inexpensive and also
gives variety.
This ought to beencouraging news
to the men of Maryland who are work
ing for similar results. Under the
guidance of the good roads division
of the Geological Survey, much has
been done to facilitates the progress
of good roads in the counties of the
State. A squirt such as the move
ment has taken in Massachusetts,
would be warmly welcomed by the
people.
Automobiles in Demand.
The universal use of the automobile
l, L..