The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1908-06-12
Stale OF Maryland
TALK ON ROAD QUESTION.

Hagerstown Especially The State
Highways Commission. Of which Gov
ernor Crothers is a member. and
which has the expenditure of $4,000
600 provided by the last legislature
for better roads in the State. arrived
In Hagerstown at 400 o'clock p. NJ,
from Cumberland, making the trip
in automobiles. A delegation, com.
posed of Mayor William l.. Ham.
mond, member of the Board of Coun.
ty Commissioners. and committee
from the Merchant and Manufactur.
ers' Association met the party at
Clear Spring and accompanied them
to this city. There was an informal
reception to the party at Clear
Spring.
Immediately upon the arrival of
the commission in Hagerstown they
were escorted to the courthouse.
where 600 men were gathered. After
partaking of a lunch. provided by
the County Commissioners and served
in the grand jury rooms. a meeting
was held. This meeting. which was
presided over by John w. Stonebra-
ker, was exceedingly lively at times.
Governor Crothers made a short
address, in which he outlined briefly
the plans 1t was intended to pursue
and stated that Washington County
would receive as her share of the
State road fund about $161,OO0, this
oelng on a basis of approximately
6S1 miles of road in the county.
This is exclusive of the $50 miles
OF turnpike. He said this was the
first time he had ever been in Wash
ington County and he felt that God
had given this county a priceless
heritage in it's beautiful scenery.
while its well-tilled fields speak for
the intelligence of the people He
said that good roads, next to public
schools should receive attention
from all citizens. Governor Crothers
said he hoped the next legis-
lature would pass a law re-
curing higher license on automo-
biles, feeling that the State should
receive an income of 500, 900 yearly
from this source.
with Edward w. Byron, rode with the
Governor from Hancock to Hagers-
town, announced that the County
Commissioners had proposition. or
rather recommendation, to make
to the commission.
County Attorney Alexander r.
Hagner was then introduced by Dam
lei A. Rohrer, president of the board
and stated to the commission that
the County Commissioners had adopt
ed two lines of roads which they
wished improved. The one is a road
from Mason and Dixon's Line at Ring
gold, through Smithsburg, Cavetown.
Beaver Creek, Boonsboro, Rohrers-
vile, Brownsville, Weverton and
Sandy Hook to the Potomac River,
opposite Harpers Ferry. The dis
lance is about 80 miles. The other
road is from Boonsboro to Williams
port, distance of about eleven miles.
Mr.. Hagner explained that it was not
the desire of the county for the State
to take over any turnpikes. as the
latter as whole are in fairly good
condition and are now under the SUI
pervision of the court.
AuOuS OlueIS WHO SpOhe III ldNOI
of the roadway from Ringgold
through to Harpers Ferry were Col
onel Charles A. Little, Professor w.
Merrick Huyett, Daniel W. Doub, DR..
V. NJ. Reichard and Jos. w. Violin
ger.
J. NJ. Tucker. chairman of the COM
mission, explained that the law speci-
fed that the road constructed would
have to connect the other counties,
while the proposed nggold-Harpers
Ferry road, which would run north
and south, would be largely local in
character. Benedict j. Boswell, Will
liam w. Seibert and others spoke in
favor of taking over the old National
turnpike, but majority of those al
the meeting opposed this. Addresses
made in favor of the suggestions of
the County Commissioners were fire.
quently applauded.
During the discussion that follow
ed, d. Webster Groh, one of the
wealthiest landowners of the county,
said if the members of the commits
sion had already made up their minds
to take over the National turnpike
their visit here was useless. Several
other speakers were inclined to be
personal in their remarks, and things
were getting lively when Governor
Crothers arose and made short
address, in which he explained that
the commission had not decided what
roads would be built; that all this
was still an open question; that the
commission simply wanted to gain
all the information possible, and in
the end give the people of the coun-
ty the roads that would benefit the
most people and at the same time
conform with the law.
Many of those in attendance at the
meeting expressed bitter disappoint-
ment that the law did not permit the
construction of any roads except such
as will connect other counties, which,
in Washington County, would prac-
tically mean that all roads would
have to run east and west.
CaorUa RrQxver