The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1907-03-21
BLAZING THE WAY IN ROAD
BUILDING IN MARYLAND,
State Engineer Crosby Tells Of 1t At
Pittsburg Convention.

Maryland, by Walter w. Crosby,
Highway Engineer of this State,
was feature of Wednesday ses-
sion of the American Roadmakers'
Convention in Pittsburg.
After telling of the legislative
provision ofthe Geological Survey
in 1896, and of the steps leading
up to the Shoemaker law, Mr..
Crosby said:
State aid began in 1904 by the
passage of an act providing
additional powers and duties for
the Geological Survey. Under
this act an appropriation of $500,
900 annually is placed at the dis
posal of those counties which will
complete in any year, under the
provisions of the act, such a mile
age of modern roads acceptable
to the State as they are willing to
pay half the cost of.
THE counties apply to the
Geological Survey for aid on a
specific road. The State makes
the surveys and plans, and draws
the specifications. These are sub
mitted to the county for its appro-
val. Sometimes the county re-
fuses to approve even the minimum
requirements of the State, and in
that case no further State aid is
given. These cases, l am glad to
say, are growing rapidly fewer.
In some other cases the county de-
sire to incur even greater expense
than the interest of the State as
whole seem to justify. In such
cases the additional work is done
at the expense of the county alone.
I'VE have been hiHdered in this
work both in 1905 and 1906 by all
unusual amount of rainy weather
during those seasons when
ordinarily the most work on the
roads is done. To date, however,
we have completed 40 miles of
modern road at a cost, on an
average, of less than So, 900 a mile,
and unfinished contracts are extant
for 16 miles more. 1t is felt a
start has been made. Applications
are on file for IFS miles additional.
AS soon as the first mile was
actually completed and an object
lesson was available the usual re-
subtitle cry for 'more'-followed.
We are up against only two
difficult propositions at this time.
One, the unwillingness of the
officials Of one or two counties to
cooperate with the State, possibly
on account of the withdrawal from
their absolute control of a COM
paratively large proportion of the
road fund of the county; and, sec
ond, the lack of cash funds in
some counties. We can, | am
sure, leave both these situations
to the people of the respective
to deal with successfully.
Already some counties have issued |
bonds for the purpose of securing
Immediately State aid and improv-
ed roads. Others are preparing
to secure the authority from the
General Assembly next winter. |
The present state of the situation
in Maryland seems to us, under |
all the circumstances most promis- |
ing.
I'VE have all sorts of conditions |
to meet in actual construction. |
Possibly they are more varied |
than in most States. We have |
the sand and clays of the Eastern
Shore, the noncementing gravels
of Southern Maryland and the
rocks and clays ofthe western por-
ton OF the State. Tie lay of the
land varies from horizontal to
The climate is noted for
its variety and its agility in chang
ing. In short conditions through
out the State are diverse and, taken
as a whole, probably less favorable
to easy constructing of permanent
roads than in many other parts Of
the country. Generally our roads
not only do not get respite from
wear during the winter, but on the