The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1904-07-14
State Aid to Road Building.

State Aid to Road Building.
The timely and instructive pamph-
let compiled by the Highway Division
of the Maryland Geological Survey
is a comprehensive explanation of
the principal features of state aid to
bodybuilding, and which has in part
been described in previous issues of
this paper was ready for distribution
last Tuesday and is now being sent to
Boards of County Commissioners and
residents in all sections of the state.
An edition of 5000 copies has been
printed of which $500 will be sent at
once to organizations and individuals
known to be interested and the re-
mainder will be distributed to per-
sons who made application to the
Maryland Geological Survey at the
Johns Hopkins University for the
book.
Two principal features of the
pamphlet have already been discrib-
ed in these columns,-namely, the
table compiled by the MARYLAND Geo
logical Survey showing the amount
of state funds available for each coun-
ty, and the method of procedure to
be followed by the people in the
counties in order to obtain this
money. There remains to be explain
ed in this article the part which the
Maryland Geological Survey will take
in cooperating with the people of
the counties to assist the work as
largely as possible.
As the State Road Law does not
become operative until, January /,
1905, there is an opportunity in the
meantime for the varions Boards of
County Commissioners to take up
the preliminary work in connection
with the selection of the road to be
first built. There will also be reuuir.
ed plans of the road in order to make
the proper estimates of the cost. All
of these preliminary arrangements
takes much time and if they are de-
layedsuntil the first of the year much
valuable time will be lost and but
little promptness will be made the
first season.
1t is with a view to saving much
of this time that the Highway Divi-
sion of the Maryland Geological Sur
yey proposes to make the various
Boards of County Commissioners
such surveys and plans as may be
necessary to draw up a correct esti-
mate of the cost of construction, and
so have everything in readiness to be-
gin at the first available moment the
actual construction of roads under
the State Aid Law.
Any county applying in season to
have its surveys made during the
present year will.gain the advantage
of having the full cost of the survey
paid by the State in the end, while
one-half of the cost of the SURVEYS
made after January /. 1905. must be
borne permanently by the county as
stated in sections and 10 of the act.
An important feature of the
pamphlet is detachable page bear
ing form of request to the Highway
Division of the Maryland Geological
Survey to make the required surveys
for plans and estimates of the cost of
any piece of road. This form is ex-
pected to be filled in by the Boards
of County Commissioners who there
by signified their intention to petit
ton for state aid under the provisions
of the new law as soon as 1t becomes
operative.
The pamphlet is published in an at
tractive form, similar to the reports
of the Maryland Geological Survey,
and will be sent by request to all per-
sons interested.