The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1904-01-02

Meeting of the Taxpayers Convention
Road Committee.-The road committee of
the Taxpayers Convention held another meet
| ing at Towson on Wednesday. Major John /.
Yellott, chairman, presided.
1t was understood that an entire new road
measure would be agreed upon. Several Sec
tions which will eventually receive the in
dorsement of the committee were practically
accepted. These sections If they are enacted
into q law, will bring about a radical change
in the present law. and will incidentally relieve
the County Commissioners of great deal of
work by taking away from them some of their
prerOgatives. The new bill cOntemplates the
formation of roads commission, which is to
have full and absolute control of all the roads
in the county. Under the present law the
County Commissioners are theoretically de-
prived of control of the county roads, but prac-
tically they still continue to look after them,
and they have the appointment of all road
officials, except the roads engineer, who is APP
pointed by the Governor.
The committee was a unit in favor of this
road commission. It was agreed that it should
be composed of six members, two of whom are
to be real estate owners in the county, appoint
ed by the Governor three members of the
Board of County Commissioners and one the
roads engineer.
The commission is to organize by electing
president and designating as secretary the
roads engineer. 1t is to have complete con-
troll of the roads and power to appoint all road
officials, except the roads engineer, who are to
have in their charge the actual work on the
highways.
The county is to be divided into five districts
and each of five members of the commission
is to have control of one district. He is to SUI
pervise generally the roads and bridges of the
district, the final control remaining in the
commission. The property owners along the
roads to be repaired are, where practicable, to
keep the roads in repair, such work to be done
under written contract, subject to the approval
of the roads engineer.
The commission is to provide for holding
public meetings in different sections of the
county, which must be attended by the roads
engineer and at least one member of the COM
mission. Discussion of local road matters will
form the program for these meetings.
The measure seeks to do away with the
time honored offices of. road supervisors or
road commissioners, and in their places fore
men are to be employed to have charge of work
actually to be done. The commission is to
meet one day in every week to attend to road
business, at which lime they will audit the
road bills and hear and pass upon demands
made in reference to roads and bridges.
It has been recognized for long time that
revision of the road law was necessary. The
County Commissioners have large volume of
business thrust upon them at their two days
session each week-so much that it is often
impossible to give all the other matters the
attention they should have. The plan formu-
lated by the committee is designed to meet
and remedy this state of affairs.
The road commissioners will each be paid
5000 per annum, which is to include all mile
age and expenses. The County Commission
ers who are to be members of the board, ex-
oficio, will receive compensation for extra
time as County Commissioners and not as
members of the road commission.
The commission will handle no money at
all, but will be authorized to pass bills to be
presented to the County Commissioners, within
certain limits to be fixed later. The County
Commissioners are required to pay such bills
within the limits fixed by the commission.
The president of the commission and the
roads engineer must approve all bills.
The bill thus prepared will be submitted to
the meeting of the Taxpayers Convention on
the 14th of January and if approved by that
body the Legislature will be asked to pass it.
Other members of the committee present on
Wednesday were Messrs. Samuel M. Shoe
maker Alex. Mccormick, John s. Ensor and
Milton Dance.