The aegis & intelligencer., 1905-07-21

gent profit in the work. As the coun-
ty work that is now in progress
is being carried on unexpected de-
velopments are encountered which |
are productive of considerable ex-
pense that he county commissioners |
could not possible foresee. Contrac-
tors skilled in their business can, as
a matter of course, exercise more
Judgment and avoid such entangle.
mentS Just the same as specialists in
any other line can be expected to
possess knowledge Of their business
that is not i'll common with the
general public. With competition
among contractors, such as outlined
above, it is easy to see that the pub
lie will get much better service than
if our commissioners continue to
build these highways under present
arrangements.
The State of Maryland is making
interesting experiments in road bull
ing, and it will yet require several
more years Of practical application
before we can feel tnat we have
mastered this science. AS compared
with other states, we are far in the
rear but the impetus given by the
Shoemaker bill is doing much to help
us catch up with the procession. The
state of New Jersey has been fore
most in building and maintaining
good roads and the rural sections of
this commonwealth have increased
in wealth correspondingly as the
highways have improved. 1t is in
teresting to know that Massach4-
setts has expended So, ,15O,923 to
macadamize 4S0 miles, while New
Jersey has created just twice this
number of miles at an expenditure of
81, ,545, ,494, or $6O5, ,429 less. This
is largely due to the fact that New
Jersey requires the counties to spend
two thirds of the cost, while the
state only gives one third. In 1908
nineteen counties of the twenty one
petitioned for state aid and during
this year, seventy different road
improvements, ,aggregating 90 miles
were started.
These counties prepare for their
road building in the winter months
and begin construction as soon as
the weather permits. The activity
is remarkable. Three counties in
1908 completed 2S, 10 and 1914
miles respectively, in addition to other
roads under construction which were
completed the next year. One single
highway alone cost 100000. This
is between PleaSantville and Atlantic
City, and it was financed BY the
state. 1t has boulevard 100 feet
wide and connects Camden with the
sea. 1t was formerly anarrow strip
of land subject to the influences of
the tide. The foundation was
formed out of concrete for which the
sand was pumped distance Of one
half mile through wrought iron pipes.
Maryland in time can have as good
roads as New Jersey. As before
pointed out, we have a bank that
will pay better dividends than any
other financialinstitution in the coun-
try. We allude to the barren oyster
beds of this state, which, if leased,
and properly financed, would soon
give us money to make highways as
good as any other state in the union.
That this will be done is certainty,
provided our citizens act intelligently
and select a legislature that will
recognise the progressiveness of such
legislation. Hartford will do her
share and we hope that each other
county will show an an equal in
terest.
The Interstate Commission gives
out an appalling record of the wrecks
on railroads in the past year. 1t
says that 900 persons were killed,
1897 were injured, and the proper
ty loss was So, 449, ,24S. In January,
February and March Of this year,
there were 2S passengers and 24O
employees killed and l ,651 passengers
and 2,062 employees injured in train
accidents, making in all, 232 persons
killed and 3,713 injured. The total
number of collisions and derail-
ments was 3,10S. The total num-
ber of employees killed in coupling
and uncoupling cars during the