Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1907-12-13
CONSIDERING GOOD ROADS,

messrs' John Thomas, Francis Thomas,
q. M. Waters, Jr., Tarlton B. Stabler, Chas.
Viers, James H. Jones, Alfred Wilson,
Henry L. Heiskell,J. G. Christopher, Jr.,
Roger Farquhar, Asa M. Stabler, L. E.
Klggs, Il. Fl. Griffith, M. Wilson Offatt,
mortimer Stabler, G. P. Higgins, Beverly
X. Codwlse, who were representatives Of
the various Farmers Clubs and similar or.
CARNATIONS OF Montgomery county. The
organizations represented included the En-.
terprise, Montgomery, White Oak, Senior
and Goshen Clubs, and the Bethesda Git.
zens' Association.
The meeting was called to order by Mr..
q. M. Waters, President of the Farmers
Club, of Goshen, and on motion, officers
were elected; Mr.. John Thomas, of Mont.
gomery Club, Chairman; Mr.. ]. G. Chris.
TOPPER, Jr., OF Goshen Club, Secretary; Mr..
Henry L. Heiskell, of the Bethesda Citizens
Association, Treasurer.
The following paper was read setting
forth the object of the meeting:
Gentlemen You arelhere at the sugges.
tion OF the Farmers Club of Goshen. The
letters of invitation calling this meeting
stated its object to be "for the purpose Of
considering all matters pertaining to our
county roads, their construction and main.
tenance. For the purpose of securing such
legislative action as is necessary to give to
the judges of the Circuit Court the author
ity to sentence petty criminals to quarry
and road work and to procure such add.
tional legislation under the Shoemaker law
as may be thought OF value"
The difficulties we seem to be experen.
cling under the Shoemaker law are those of
cost and hardness in the completion of
work when begun; these, in connection
with other deficiencies not related to that
law, are chargeable to the mode of admins
tration, the want Of organization and the
absence of road building equipment.
We will offer for your consideration in
concrete form, through series Of resolutions,
the outlines of an organization for road
control. These resolutions are to be de-
bated, accepted, rejected, or substitutes
therefor, as may seem most proper; and
when finally disposed Of, to be referred to
general convention Of taxpayers for such
action as they may think advisable.
The road should be classified as LIST, 2nd
3rd class according to the freight tonnage
moved over them. The first class roads
being first macadamized, extending from
shipping points to centers of production.
For road construction under the Shoe
maker law the county should own such
road building equipment as is necessary for
the prompt and economical construction of
the work undertaken, and In the further
ance of that economy and promptness,
should the county not have funds for such
an investment, it might be considered well
10 issue bonds to the amount necessary, sp-
$4,000, or to procure that
amount by direct levy.
Beginning at the bottom of the structure,
that is, at labor, there are three types avail
able.
Home labor, at a rate OF wages governed
by local Conditions.
Labor not oil the county, including for
egners, al rate OF wages controlled by
me outs.ss labor market.
And convict labor, at q probable cost of
Is cents per day. So
The economy OF convict labor is obvious,
and 1t is equally as obvious that petty Grim.
mails, who by improper conduct have caused
me county TO be charged with additional
costs, should in compensation to the county
perform service OF material benefit to the
injured public.
The condition and needs OF the agricul-
.ural interest of the county does not war
rant placing in the House OF Correction the
convict who should be employed upon the
roads and the consequent withdrawal from
The farms, for road use, the labor 30 much
needed by the farmers.
1t has been found the per diem cost for
food, tobacco, washing, medical
attendance and guarding to be In Virginia
Is to so cents, and In the States south Of
Virginia from II cents to 45 cents.
The cost TO ourselves would be as in Vir.
ginia. These men are cared for and con.
fined in prison wagons, moved from place
10 place as the work requires, or in prison
cabins during the winter at quarry sites
No bill for the use Of convicts on roads
would be properly drawn that did not re.
quire the warden Of the State Penitentiary
or the Superintendent Of the House OF Cor
rection to honor a county requisition for
shortterm oonvicts in the proportion that
each county's road mileage bears TO the
number OF available convicts on the records
Of those institutions at the time of requisi-
ton.
In the twelve States south of the Potomac
and Ohio rivers, 287 counties use 4.577 con.
victs, their labor being reckoned at 95 cents
per day. They have total yearly value Of
s985,000. The average number OF convicts
10 each county was 10 and the yearly value
to each county using them was $3,425.
Over the labor, the supervisors, one for
each Of the FIVE districts, were appointed for
their ability, to be men having no other &C.
cupation, to occupy office at the pleasure Of
the Road Commission or during the faithful
performance Of work, TO employ convicts In
the quarries during the winter and on the
roads in the summer, preparing in the win.
ter stone for summer use. Each super.
visor to have as equipment team OF horses,
wagons, house wagon, road tools, etc. Each
year, with the opening of the road repairing
season, he should begin and move continu-
ousy over the roads OF his district until
all are put in order, and then, If no State
aid road is to be built in his district that sea-
son, be could be well employed in the bet
termsnt of the 2nd and Bird class roads as
feeders TO those macadamized.
The supervisors should keep accurate time
of all labor employed, either tree or convict,
entering the same, II free labor, on pay roll