The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1905-07-21
Good Roads.

With contracts let and the work be-
gun upon about sixteen miles Of highway
the actual construction Of State roads in
the various counties Of Maryland under
the new State Aid Road Law is now we'll
under way. Plans and estimates for
thirty pieces of road varying in length
| from one half to two miles have been
sent cut by the Highway Division of the
Maryland Geological Survey. and of these
all but two or three have been been adver-
tised by the County Commissioners.
Within few months, therefore, there
will be established specimens of modern,
permanent stone roads, to serve as ex-
amples of practical economy and general
satisfaction.
Some criticism has arisen, however,
in certain instances which should be cor
rected and the facts thoroughly explained
One such criticism has been unfavorabls
comment upon the State Geological Sur
vey Commission over the selection of
pieces of road to be improved, the Com
mission being held accountable for the
particular selections in those instances.
Criticism was further made that numer-
Gus comparatively short pieces Of road
(from one half to two miles each) we're
to be improved instead of longer stretches.
At the offices of the State Geological
Survey Commission, however, the follow
ing explanation or the situation was
given.
The Commission, whatever its opinion
may be as regards the advisability Of i'm
proving certain piece of road, cannot
act in the matter unless the County
authorities first petition the State for aid
on that road The Commission has q
veto power-it can refuse State aid on
the ground that the improvement of q
road petitioned for would not be a suf1-
GENTLY public improvement to justify the
expenditure of State funds, but this
situation has not yet arisen and if there
is any dis satisfaction in any part of the
State over the selection of the roads to
receive State aid, the responsibility must
be placed on the County authorities. As
a matter of fact, in Baltimore County
State aid has not been asked on less than
one mile in any place, and in one district
aid has been applied for on stretch five
miles in length.
1t is generally held that the interests of
q county will be better served by build
ing small sections of road in different
parts of the county, rather than one long
piecs running through one section, for
two reasons: First, that the general dis
tribution of pieces of good highway will
enable all sections to share equally in the
advantages thereform; and second, that
the educational feature Of such distribu-
ton. in illustrating the value of properly
built roads, will be more effective when
widely distri buted. Inasmuch as the re-
cent food 30 widely damaged the roads
of some counties, it is believed that the
of the opportunity to build small pieces
of road here and there under the petitions
filed for State aid this year, and by so
doing give all sections an opportunity to
profit by the State Aid Act.
The recent flood demonstrated very
emphatically the wise policy and economy
of building bridges Of concrete on county
roads, matter which has been urged by
scientific road builders for some time
past.
A striking example of the value of
concrete bridges in the event of freshets
was given at Sherwood, Baltimore Coun-
ty, where . concrete bridge withstood
the force of the water, although the
stream rose six feet above the bridge and
everything else within reach was swept
away.