Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1905-06-03
GOOD ROADS.


Meeting D. +. McMullen, chairman of
the Board of Road Directors for the
county, few days ago, it occurred to
the JOURNAL to ask for an expression of
his views of the merits and dement's of
the current road law as these have been
wrought out of administrative expert
ence, the best of all tests.
Besides, AS is wellknown, Mr.. McMul-
len Is "A large tax payer and has con-
siderable personal interest i'll the matter
whether in or out of good roads pro-
motion i'll an official way, and the jour
NAL soon aScertained that AS a good
roads" economist he would prefer to see
very much the major share of his own
contribution to the public fund 20 to
highway improvement.
To reach results somewhat in detail,
however, the JOURNAL began by asking
"W hich, in your Judgment. Mr.. Nc
Mullen, is the best provision of the new
law"
Mr. N"MuH,n-"There are several
best provisions when it comes to com
parsons of one with another, but i'll my
Judgment the very best Is that which
fixes arbitrarily an amount to be ex
pended. The purpose for which the
money is appropriated being explicitly
stated, the sum should be named with
equal precision. This has the effect of
creating il condition of economy which
the Directors are bound to see and
respect"
Notwithstanding of the Direct
crate, Mr.. McMullen, what has your eX-
perience taught you as to the advisabiltv
of continuing the Board as now pro-
vidcd?'
Mr.. MviIsH-"On the whole, | be
heve it would be better to have but one
Road Director, to whom the combined
salaries of the present number of four
could be paid $500, to which could be
added actual expenses of travelling.
Elect him for six years and require him
to fill bond. The fact that steam and
electric lines parallel our most important
roads affords HIM opportunities to reach,
inspect and provide for road needs al
most constantly, and he could devote his
entire time to this surveillance. Boards
of county commissioners and road di-
rectorS are usually composed of men
engaged Ill business pursuits of their
own, ana for a small salary men of com
petent makeup do not feel as though it
We're incumbent upon them to sacrifice
more than a liberal share of time and
attention for the public good. Then,
again, ii citizen III business and in daily
contact with his patronage is sometimes
too humanely apt to be partial. His
term is short and he feels 10th to antag-
OnlZe wishes otherwise mutual On the
other hand, We're he elected for Il reason
ably long term of years at fair salary,
he could feel more independent of in
dlvldual and even sectional demands
upon his favor. With a fixed plan for
continuous and durable Improvement he
could do continuous work, completing
next year work begun this. and so on. p"
JOURNAL" Are there not conditions
III Allegany county that make road i'm
provement more difficult than in low
land sections ?''
Nr. NcMHiieH-"1 was coming to that
point. 1t is in Allegany as i'll all other
mountainous attitudes road repairs and
improvements are more expensive than
elsewhere i'll that they call for more
WatchtulneSS, and for more radical work
when breaks occur. Heavy falls of
rain which do practically little damage
to low-country roads occasion destruct-
i've washouts in the mountains, and it
always costs more to restore to normal
condition mountain than low country
road"
JOURNAI.-"In connection with road
Improvement i'll Maryland you have
probably taken some interest in the
Hannah oyster bill and the propositions of
those who are promoting that measure O.
Mr.. Nr.NUien-"Ye s, | have followed
the discussion of that bill closely. given
Its provisions and purposes much
thought, and it is my humble opinion,
viewed from the public highway stand
point, that 1t Is the best popular measure
now available to the State. | am not,
OF course, familiar with the relations
which subsist between the State and its
oySter-workers, but the contention i'll
that behalf that the proposed law will
largely promote oyster culture and thus
CORRESPONDENCE increase the State
revenue from rentals seems to be
lndlSpntable. And as the revenue thus
acquired will be equitably distributed to
all the counties for road Improvement
and building, it occurs to me that no
consideration should be permitted to
stand Ill the way of its enactment into
law next winter. For my own part, |
shall not vote for any man for the LpgiS
lature who Is not thoroughly com
united to working of the
Hannah bill"
JoURNAI-"Have your official con.
facts with the people been pleasant"
Mr.. Muien-" Mostly so. Now and
then someone draws unfavorable com.
parsons between our accomplishments
and those of past administrations, but
ON the whole, and especially where the
conditions are fully understood, we have
little to complain of The farmer who
sees only his own patch of road is, of
course. blind to the fact that there are
others, while his broader spirited neigh.
Dor, seeing things us they are, is in.
cllned to help rather than discourage
And now, as | will have to go, | would
like, i'll conclusion, to have my endorse
ment of the Hannah bill made emphatic
as words will permit In doing so
will add that official statistics show
that under the current system or ne
system the oyster industry has been de
Ginning i'll productlveness. This being
true, is not the bill worth a trial
Then, If we find, as we probably will
defects of operation or Administered on
we can amend the law. Or if it fails OF
its good purpose, we can further treat il
as we do any other futile law-repeal it. >