The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1905-07-29
T1ME eRowINa VERY SHORT.


Owing to the fact that certain Of the counties
Of Maryland to which the Highways Commission
of the State has furnished estimates for the con-
struction of modern roads under the provisions
Of the State aid road law, have neglected to
fully designate the portions OF the roads which
they wish improved and the total amounto of the
State aid fund which they desire to take up this
year, State Highways Engineer waiter W. Cros-
by has just sent to the county commissioners
of each county applying for State aid a letter
announcing that all counties desiring the full
amounts of their allotments must SO notify the
Highways Commission on or before August 6th.
1905. After this date the apportionments Of the
counties failing to take advantage OF the law
will, under the provisions of the law, be reap
portioned among those counties desiring totake
up more than their original allotment, but as it
is hoped that as many counties as possible will
share in the advantages of good roaos, every en-
couragement to the counties to announce the
amount of aid desired is being given by the
Highways Commission.
The county commissioners are earnestly urged
not to delay in replying to the communication
of Mr.. Crosby. there is now no time to be lost,
and the commissioners who hesitate will simply
put their counties behind theirmore progressive
neghbors. Nor should county commissioners,
who generally hold one meeting in the month,
wait until their next regular meeting. which
may be too late, but in such instance should call
special meetings at once. Mr.. Crosby's letter is
as follows:
1904 chapter 225 section IL, provides that in the
event of any county's refusing to take the full
allotment to it under the act. the balance shall
be allotted to those counties desiring more than
their original allotment. AS your allotment for
this year cannot be considered as applying to
any work not undertaken this year with reason
able prospects of its completion before Deem.
Der 1st after which date it is ordinarily impIae
ticable to carry on work upon the roads. and as
this means that the CONTACTS for such osa wf
spectfully requested to advise me fmmedisnsy
as to the total amount of State aid that VII be
You are hereby respectfully VI notified shat In
the absence of this information or failur OF the
same to reach me on or before Angus 5th, It
will be considered by this Commission nat your
county desires no further aid from theetate this
year than it has contracted for at that date. and
areallotment will therefore then be made among
allotment in accordance with this understanding.
1t is respectfully urged upon YOU board that
the opportunity offered by the STAT at TINS time
ticable. It is the intention and desire of this
Commission to distribute the ben,its of the act
may be possible for them to do 81, and 1t is firm
~ believed that the more genesai the applica-
ton OF the act may become the greater Will pc
the benefit to the State as WILL as to the dH-
ferent localities ~
Trusting that your reply will indicate that
your county is DESTROYS of :eceiving the full
''''' Very ~ rel wy CROSBY.
Chief Engineer,
In order that the residents of the counties
may know just how far this announcement af-
fects their respective interests it may be well
to review what the counties have done since the
original petitions for safe aid were sent to the
Highways Commission last spring. OF the total
number of Maryland counties IS applied for
State aid last spring,in length of road varying
from to 90 miles. Garrett, Somerset, Wicomi-
co, Calvert and Kent counties were the only
ones which failed to apply at all: Since the esti-
mates have been given to the counties of the
cost of the roads petitioned for, intimation has
been received in some cases that the county
authorities have decided not to proceed any fur
Their under the law. In the case of Caroline
county, which asked for estimates for four miles
of road, it has been impossible to have the pieces
of road designated closely enough to have the
surveys made, and the estimates could not there
fore be given. Estimates have been submitted
to Anne Arundel county for two miles and to
Charles county for one mile, but nothing fur
Their has been heard from the county commits
mates to assist the authorities in deciding where
they wanted the surveys to be made. No def
mite pieces of road have been designated, how
ever, and no detailed estimates have been given
Talbot county applied for three miles in one
piece Of road but the county commissioners
have delayed in the matter and it has been i'm
possible thus far to furnish the plans and esti-
mates. Dorchester county applied for TX miles
The estimates have been submitted and the
Highways Commission is waiting to hear what
the commissioners are going to do. ei
Among the counties interested, however, 9
number are now well on toward the achieve
ment of the work. Allegany will take all the
State aid which it applied for. and Baltimore
county will be glad to build at least 10 miles ii
it can get the money. Carroll county will build
parts OF both the roads which 1t originally ap-
piled for, and Cecil county all that it applied
for. Frederick county is building all it applied
for. Hartford county applied for 10 miles. II
has nearly finished 3K miles and will probably
build miles more. Montgomery applied for {
miles and will probably build at least 5. Prince
Georges county applied for miles and will
build of these, the other mile having beengiven
up on account of proposed relocation of the
place. Queen Anne's county is going ahead as
fast as possible. This county originally applied
for 81 miles and will utilize all of her allotment
Washington county is now constructing the 4
miles for which it applied.