The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1904-10-14

| Unwilling to lose the advantages offer
| ed hY the new State aid road law, the
| residents of WiComico county, at Il large
public meeting held in Salisbury on Tues
day, September 81. decided To act at
once Ill taking the necessary measures to
secure the State appropriation of So.
| 600 allotted to Wicomicu county for the
construction of highways built scientiii-
| cally under State supervision. The whole
subject of obtaining State roads under
the new law was thoroughly discussed
in this open meeting by Congressman
| William II. Jackson, State Senator Ma
ron Y. Brewington. and Il number of
others; and MIR. A. n. Johnson, highway
engineer of the Maryland Geological Sur
vey, who attended the meeting from Bal
tinorc, explained the method of proceed
IRE under the law and answered ques-
tions concerning it from all who were i'll
tercsted.
twas pointed out at the meeting that
| should WicOmic0 not take up her allOt-
ment of $40 900 State funds for her road
work, the money will be divided among
other counties, and there was full deter
mination expressed not to allow the
money to leave the county. The whole
tenor OF the meeting was another exam
pic OF the progressive spirit which the
county residents of Maryland have
shown in the matter of road building
since the passage of the new State law,
and it showed that Wicomico county
residents are alive to the manner i'll which
her road fund is to be spent. The discus
>ions conducted were qualified to i'll
struct the average resident upon the best
available road material, and the queS-
,aI I'll Il,
the study of road conditions has been
hive matter for some time with the tan
PAYERS of Wicomico county.
The meeting was called by the County
Commissioners, who wished an express
sion of opinion from the residents as to
their Willingness to stand their share of
the expense of building State roads. In
asnuch as the law demands that the
county shall appropriate dollar for dol
lar as much as the State fund gives in
each case, or i'll other words. pays one
half the cost, the Commissioners wished
to learn whether the county was willing
to undergo this expense before any appli-
cations for Wicomico's share of the State
fund should be made. Mr.. Johnson ex-
planned at length the features of the new
law, advised upon the best road material
that is available to Wicomico county,
and quoted estimates uDon the cost of
first-class modern roads such as could
he made under the existing circum-
stances,
MIR. Johnson told the audience to pre-
serve their shell roads as a foundation
for macadam roads. and to surface them
with Wilmington limestone rather than
Port, Deposit granite. as the limestone
bindsbetter. Stag surfacinp was not adj
vise4, as it is not durable for heavy traf.
fic. The cost of macadam road includ.
ing the foundation was oiven ne FROM,
81 600 to S.. 600 ner mil. NJ the highest
but with the shell foundation. said Mr.
Johnson, the macadam surfacing would
cost only So, 500 per mile for Il roadbcd
twelve feet wide. with a shoulder of tour
feet on either side.
In explaining the procedure necessary
to secure A State road II was shown
how the residents mayeithcr first request
the County Commissioners TO Detition
fur the State aid or the County Cnmmis-
sioners nm thrir own ;r;t;,ti,:s NOV A.,
ada +o +ale ~, IN. aIIat,.,n,t rho III,
Is ~, Mn.'io,I ,,l,I. -
S,,r,.e,, s,,r,,c,.s tha rnaI 'r;,.as
n,,d the cn,;,,t Iii r., 800 H.,
t-ac+ ,rde,. s,,,sr,;s;l,,, ~ tI,a l;,;h ,,.a,,
a,,I,;,,,ar WI, - ,i'a e, .,'.'.
L u ~