The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1904-06-10
GOOD ROADS.

the building OF Sclentlflcally constructed
roads, known generally as the Shoemaker
Good Roads Bill, the Maryland Geologi-
cal Survey under the direction of DR.. w.
Bullock Clark, is preparing for an active
summer of service in the interest Of the
Boards of County Commissioner through
out the State, from which calls for assist
ance in the way of expert information,
estimates, and road-engineering have be-
gun to come in to the Survey authorities.
AS the advantages of the new law become
more genearlly understood in its econom-
ical aspect, ease Of administration, and
and satisfaction to the users of the road
the Maryland Geological Survey will be
very active through its Highway Engi-
neer, MIR. A. N. johnson, in meeting re-
onests of assistance from all quarters of
the State.
A very striking sign of the prospective
betterment of roads in Maryland is the
interest and progress manifested in the
various counties to help themselves and
to push forward scientific building.
In each case the fact that there will early
be available considerable sum under the
Shoemaker Act will be great assistance
and it is expected that full advantage will
be taken of the opportunity for obtaining
the supervision of road building by Mr.
A. N. Johnson. The question with which
each county is confronted is whether, un-
der the present method Of administering
its road funds, the roads have steadily
improved dollars worth for every dol
lar that has been expended upon them,
and whether the very best results have
been obtained in each case. In other
words, have the roads in your county
when once built, even though at consid.
cradle outlay, given thorough satisfaction
and require but little expense from year
to year for repairs, or does the same
amount o. labor have to be gone over
each year at the same total expense, be
cause they were not built scientifically in
the first place?
What are the facts in this connection?
In the past fifteen years the people of
Montgomery county have expended on
their roads, including tolls, over $540,00O
Let US say that it is necessary to expend
as much as half this sum on repairs which
are absolutely needed to keep the roads
in safe condition and that the other
half of the money should have been ex-
pended in making good macadam roads.
If this had been done, then in the past fif
teen years they would have spent little
over $270,0C0 on we'll made roads. Now
put the cost of good macadam road at
a comparatively high figure, say $4,000
per mile for IL foot macadam, accord
ingly, they should have constructed in
the last Is years 45 miles of good roads
But 40 miles of good macadam roads
have not been built in the last Is years
in Montgomery or in any other county
of this State.
A realization of the unsatisfactory ana
wasteful methods pursued in the past is
however, apparent in many parts of the
State and there in now in progress def
mite sentiment for scientifically construct
ed roads. Requests for assistance have
been received by the Survey from IA OF
the 90 counties in the State and examina
tions, plans and estimates have been made
for upwards Of sixty pieces of roads
Not all of these have been improved
wholly according to the suggestions Civ
en-, but in a large number of instances
the work has been done according to
plans and specifications that were fur
nished.
The latest engagement received
by the Highway Division, through the
impetus Of the superiority of the roads
already built by the Survey and by the
recent discussion of the good-roads bill
in this State, is proposition to build
road two miles long from Ken
sington, Montgomery county, to Wheaton.
Mr.. Johnson had a consultation with
the Board of County Commissioners OF
Montgomery county, last Friday, a,
which measures were taken to have spec
presented at an early date, As
another instance Of progress, Baltimore,
Prince Georges, Allegany and Carroll
counties have both engaged road engi-
neer for the improvement of their high
ways and with these gentlemen the High
way Division of the Survey will in all
be called into consultation
In number of other counties money has
been appropriated, and in one instance,
for making sections of the |
state model roads under specifications OF
he Maryland Geological survey One OF |
he roads was made in Queen Annr's |
county on the Eastern Shore, where here
ofore oyster shells had been the only |
material used to improve the roads. This
Dad was constructed by the Survey OF
oasic Stag from the steel works at Spar
ow's point, where the Stag could be read |
ly shipped on barges to a point about a
nile and half from the road The ma
erial was employed because of its cheap
less and has made very satisfactory
DAD although one not well adapted to
withstand very heavy traffic. It's cost
Tas $500 mile. In 1902 the County
appropriated $11 900 for
he construction of ii Enacadam road to be
ult under the Maryland Geological
urvey specifications at Rising Sun.
his road which has been completed for
no milo macadamiZed for a width of 10