The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser., 1905-06-16
PROPOSITION TO CHANGE
THE GOOD ROADS LAW.

Inc w lCOnlCO News, VI O0i' 'oooiy
advocates change in the State Road
law. known as the Shoemaker Road
law, $50 that whenever piece OF road
is petitioned for by any section of the
county the commissioners shall apply
for State aid and the balance necessary
to build the real be assessed on the
property within the district in which
the road is to be built"
If such view of the road making
system OF the State should be taken
by the Legislature the whole business
might fall to pieces and the counties
might get back to where they were
before the general road law went into
effect. Instead of stimulating dis
trict pride in the countries to prose-
cute local improvements in each dis
trict, as our Salisbury contemporary
imagines, it might check durable road
making and relegate the counties back
to the old sy stem of road scratching
and wasting the peoples money on
wor,hle work The system in op-
Grafton is comprehensive and does not
bear harshly ON any locality. All the
counties and the city of Baltimore pay
the same rate of State taxes, out OF
which the general appropriation OF
5000 900 a year was made by the Leg
isiature to construct durable roads. 1t
is optional with the countits to take
advantage Of State aid, and, moreover,
the progressive people of progressive
neiehtorhoods may by petition exert
a wholesome influence upon county
commissioners otherwise disposed to
staonate. In fact, such localities, by
having one-tenth of the money needed, (,
may enforce desired improvements.
Thus the principle of home rule is
brought to bear on public improve
nents in way to contribute step by
step to the common good. Under the
present law durable road making, on
petition, is as practicable in several
localities at the same time as in one
locality of the same county. There
must be beginnings somewhere, and it
goes without saying that if the true
spirit of progress prevails in one To-
cality to the extent of constructing a
stretch of good and durable public
roadway, it is a benefit to the county
at large as well as for the district in
which it is located and the State as a
whole. 1t would be for public uses;
it does not belorg to the people OF the
district, and they should not be made
10 pay for that which is urquestiona-
bly, for the common good. One might
IS well ask that the proportion Of the
State appropriation derived from taxes
collected in Baltimore city should be
eliminated from the road aid fund.-
The counties failing to apply for
State aid are Calvert, Garrett, Kent,
Somerset and Wicomico, and it is
Wicomico which seems to be leading
the fight by an indirect method against
one Of the wisest and best public pol
icies it has been possible to set afoot
in Maryland in many years.
The old political road methods must
give way to the new policy, which has
come TO stay. Ii the question Of taxa
ton is raised the ready remedy is to
GREATS new sources Of revenue, and of
these the most available is to be found
in leasing barren oyster bottoms for
oyster cultivation. Such source of
revenue once established would yield
permanent fund calculated to relieve
the counties in great part of the cost
Of constructing durable roads and
maintaining them. Give it trial
B4itipsore Sun.
All the indications point to the Sc