The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1907-02-23
SIXTY YEARS OF ROAD BUILDING.
MONTGOMERY County Press.

Montgomery County Press.
An article on the county roads, by valued
correspondent of The Press is published in an
other part of this paper. Mr.. Asa M. Staber
briefly reviews the systems of road building
which have obtained in Montgomery county
during the past sixty years, and the inference
is very properly established that the roads are
still generally bad. The roads have been I'M
der the absolute supervision of the County
Commissioners during all the time reviewed
by our correspondent, except the past two
three years when the State aid law has been in
operation. 1t is significant commentary on
the management of the Commissioners that,
after tifty-seven years of road making, not one
mile of first class road remains as testimonial
to their skill in building permanent highways.
Mr.. Stabler, however, sees nothing but ex-
pense and delay in the Shoemaker, or State
aid road law, and seems to ignore the fact that
the only absolutely satisfactory and permanent
sections OF road ever built in Montgomery
county have been constructed under the State
aid law in the past three years.
A few years ago the citizens of the Sandy
Spring neighborhood were anxious 10 have
the then proposed Shoemaker bill become a
law. Since its enactment they are staggard at
the cost and two years ago vigorous effort
was made. to have the law repealed. Last
week, at meeting on one of the leading
farmers clubs in that community a commit
tee was appointed to ask the County Commits
sioners not to make any more appropriations
for roads under this law, and it is evident that
another effort will be made to repeal the law
when the Legislature again convenes.
Unfortunately for the Shoemaker law, no
section of road, built under this system, has
been constructed in the Sandy Spring vicinity,
and many of the good people Of that enter
prising community can see no good in any
improvement which does not pass their front
gates. They lose sight of the fact that the
Shoemaker plan, persistently followed, will in
few years witness the completion of several
main thoroughfares reaching into all parts of
the county, benefiting the residents of Sandy
Spring as well as Laytonsville, and Beallsville
and other sections.
In this connection it is of interest to note the
experience of Contractor James n. Mount,
who built the first section of State aid road in
this county, being the mile between Washing
ton Grove and Lsytonsville. When Mr..
Mount began work upon that piece of roads,
bitter was the opposition of the residents of
that neighborhCod that they malciously drove
over the incomplete road and in other ways
did all that was possible to hinder and render
the work failure. These very same PERSONS
now that the road is bniltand found excellent,
are the most positive in commencing the plan,
and are anxious that the system shall he ex-
tended. Another significant thing is that evgTy
farm which touches the new State aid road
has so increased in value that it cannot be
purchased for the same price as a few years
ago by several hundred dollars.
The new roads are expensive at five to seven
thousand dollars mile, but if they are per-
manent, and every one comedies that they are
most excellent when finished, they are cheaper
at these prices than the annual expenditure of
$25. 600 by the Commissioners on poor roads,
And in stating the cost of the new roads the
fact must be kept in mind that the State pays
one half, so that the county is paying only
81, 500 for 5000 road, or So, 500 for a 81 900
road.
1t is not claimed that the Shoemaker law is
perfect plan. but it is the best we have ever
had in this county aud Mr.. Stabler will admit
that it is better to "coddle" the highway eng-
neer, who insists that the work shall be
notougnay PeoormSSdd .nan 10 aonere forever
ervisors and County Commissioners which
made road making an incident to county
elections.