The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1903-12-03
WORK FOR GOOD ROADS
County Representatives Will meet in Bal
timore.

County Representatives Will meet in Bal
timore.
The bill providing for State aid for
good roads in Maryland will be pres
ented at a meeting of representatives
from the different counties to be held
at the New Carollton Hotel in Balti-
more at noon today. The special com
mittee appointed at a meeting held at
the same hotel on September 2, at
which IS of the 90 counties were re-
presented, for the purpose of prepar-
ing a bill to be presented to the Leg
islature, held a meeting at the Mer-
chants Club at / o'clock yesterday
This meeting was for the purpose of
perfecting all arrangements for sub
uniting their bill at the meeting today
A few minor changes were made in
the bill, but they did not effect the
general tenor of the bill.
The bill to be presented at the meet
ing today has been already drawn up
and published. At today's meeting
the different provisions in this bill
be discussed. The act was modelled
after the laws of New Jersey, Massa-
chusetts and New York, which have
proved satisfactory. The bill provides
for State assistance to the counties in
their road work. The State is to pay
one-half of the expenses of building
new roads. The State is to have sup
erYision of the construction and the
State Geological and Economical Sur
vey is to furnish plans and specifica-
tons and an estimate of the cost ac-
cording to the plans and specifications
upon the petition of the County
Commissioners of any county in need
of road improvements In case the
Commissioners of any county are too
conservative, they will be required to
send such petitions, upon petition
being presented to such Commission
ers by the owners of at least two
thirds of the land fronting on the
public road in such county, upon
their paying 10 per centum of the en-
tire cost of improvement.
The bill provides for State appro.
pirate of 100000 each year for road
purposes The State will be exempt
from any cost what ever in acquiring
land forrOad purposes or for any dam
ages to the landowners. The roads
will be entirely under the supervision
of the County Commissioners of each
county after they are constructed and
must be kept in repair by them. The
division of the money appropriated
by the State will be appOrtioned to
each county according to its road
mileage. After new road has been
built according to the requirements
in the bill, and inspected by repre-
sentative of the State, the State will
then pay into the treasury of the
county one-half of the cost of construc
ton. The State will not be called up
on to contribute to rebuilding a speci-
fic portion of new ground after it has
been constructed.
While the members of the commit
tee have not approached the members
elect of the Legislature for the pur-
pose of pledging them regarding the
proposed new bill, the general express
sion of approval received from the
residents of all sections of the State
has been very encouraging, as from
all sides the movement has awakened
much interest and the bill has been
highly commended.
1t is expected that all of the IS
counties represented at the Septem-
Der meeting will also be represented
at today's meeting, while some of the
remaining five counties are also look
ed for.
in addition to the meeting in the
interest of good roads, there will be
another meeting at the New Carrolton
at 1920 O'Clock in the morning in the
interest of a proper agricultural eX-
hibit from this State at the st. Louis
Exposition next year. In addition to
the exhibit at the Exposition the
proposition is to have the State:estab-
lish permanent agricultural College.
The idea is to have aniexhibit estab-
lished in Maryland:for the purpose of
showing strangers the soil, sub-soil
and products of Maryland
A meeting on this matter was held
in conjunction with the goodroads
meeting in September. | ATT that
meeting it was estimated that about
$40, 900 would be required to.establish
permanent exhibit and one,for the
st. Louis fair. A committeeJwas APP
pointed for the purpose of devising a
plan to urge the Legislature to appro-
pirate the amount required.
How Old is Aun.
| Dear EditOr-SOIVa this DrOblem.