The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1907-12-07

Mr. Benson Wants Better Troublesome
New Ideas-Mr. Carville ID. Benson, mem
Der elect to the House of Delegates from Balti-
more county, thinks the time has arrived for a
strong advance movement by this State IN the
matter of good roads, and will introduce bill
in the coming Legislature providing for the
construction by the State of long distance i'm
proved roads between important terminals
roads that will constitute the main arteries of
traffic in the State.
"My idea," he says, ''is to supplement the
Shoemaker law by providing for the construc-
ton by the State of improved roads between
important centres, running through several
counties if necessary-a following up of the
precedent established by the last Legislature
in authorizing the building of the Baltimore
to- Washington boulevard.
Most of these roads naturally would have
Baltimore as one terminus, although | think
there should be one running the whole length
of the Eastern Shore with branch roads to
various shipping points on the bay and rivers.
One from Baltimore to Belair naturally sug-
gests itself and there are many others.
II think the work should be on the line OF
acquiring and improving toll roads as far as
possible A toll road is very expensive thing.
The indirect taxation paid by users OF them is
far greater than the direct taxation would be II
the State acquired these roads and improved
them.
"There are at least three roads within the
limits OF Baltimore city on which toll is
charged-the Liberty pike, the Reisterstown
nike and the Frederick pike. This is a rather
absurd state of affairs. 1t is the biggest argu-
ment the Annex residents have against paying
full city taxes. They say, naturally, that they
are paying heavy tax already In the tolls
levied against them.
MANY of these toll roads are anything but
profitable investment to the owners, and
some of them have been abandoned. Some
wopld probably be turned over to the State for
ho has od al a l.
nal figure. They could be used to advantage
in the scheme which have in mind.
1.-The State should do this work rather than
the counties, as it can do it more satisfactorily
Under the Shoemaker law some trouble has
arisen because different districts of a county
held different opinions as to the advsabilty oil
new road construction. In Baltimore county,
for instance, the people of the LIST district
wanted Wilkens avenue improved, whereas
the people of the 18th district, through which
also the avenue runs, didn't think it worth the
cost. 1t was finally arranged only by changing
the boundary line of the district so as to bring
the avenue altogether within the LIST district.
ut might be best also to let the State pay the
full cost of construction of these roads, though
am not certain of this. If we don't, we will
be up against this proposition-the counties
will object to the Improvement. They VIII
want to do the work themselves, saying they
can do it cheaper than the State. AS matter
of fact they cannot, except by building in
ferior roads The State Bureau Of Highways
is the best organization we have to look after
these things.
IF the State pays for the work, it will re-
ceive its compensation in the increased develop
ment and increased taxable basis. But thi:
end of the problem can be investigated and
the best method adopted. l do not propose
| that all this work be done at once, but star
should be made at once. In 10 or Is years
there would be tremendous improvement
throughout the State"