The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1904-12-22

The fact that the good roads has
now thousands Of earnest supporters
in this State,' says the Baltimore
News in recent editorial. was dem
Onstratcd at Annapolis last winter
when the legislature passed bill pro
posing Constitutional Amendment
which gives the State authorities
power to make appropriations to the
several counties for good roads work,
and the fact that a good start has
been made on the improvement of
MarYland'S roads is one on which the
State and the counties should be CON
graduated, even while they are being
urged to spend more money on the
public arteries of travel"
With the conclusion of work in
Prince Georges county, Anne Arun-
del county, Baltimore and Frederick
counties, over twenty miles of road
petitioned for under the provisions
of the new State aid road law shall
have been surveyed, and Ethe specifi-
cations and estimates will be prepar-
ed this winter for the work next
spring. Over $50 miles of State road
have been petitioned for in all, more
than twice enough to utilize the
amount of State and county appro-
priation, and nine counties out of
twenty:three in the State have filed
petitions for these roads, all but one
of these desiring to take uD the total
allotments.
Effort has been made by the coun-
ties to file their petitions before Jan
uary l, 1905, in order to obtain the
road surveys, specifications, and esti-
mates free of cost Wherever this is
not done, one half this cost must be
borne by the county. Petitions have
already been made for 80 much road
that it will be impossible to have all
these roads surveyed this year. Queen
Anne's county heads the list with pc
titions for 80 miles; Baltimore county
asks for AZ 3-4 miles; Hartford county
1G 10 miles; Prince Georges county
10 miles; Talbot county 1Omiles: Allie
gaAy county 4 12 miles; Washington
county 2-10 miles; Anne Arundel
county / mile; and Frederick county
1 mile. Surveys have been completed
for the Washington, Allegany and
Hartford county roads and six miles
in Prince Georges county are now in
process of completion. Anne Arundel
county road, part of the Baltimore
county and Talbot county roads, and
one mile in Frederick county will be
the last to be surveyed until next
spring.
Talbot, Anne Arundel and Freder-
lex counties have been the last TO
take advantage of the law, and move
ments are now in progress in other
counties throughout the State to act
definitely upon the matter, notably
Wicomico, Dorchester and Caroline
counties, which within the past sew
eral week have decided in open mass
meetings OF their taxpayers to take
up their full appropriation.
The last petition was received De
cember 9Th from Talbot county, for
the surveying of 10 miles from Eas-
ton to st. Michaers along the Bay
Side road. The opportunity which
the provisions of the petition from
the Anne Arundel County Commiss-
toner's allow for the construction of a
thoroughly modern road, irrespec-
tive of length and cost, is source of
satisfaction to the Highway Division
of the Maryland Geological Survey,
as the requirements of good road
may he fulfilled here by utilizing the
best.of material and construction and
30 securing a model road which will
prove to be all that is claimed in it's
behalf as an invincible argument for
scientific highways.