The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1908-08-07
RAILROADS WILL
AID GOOD ROADS.

The railroads winch grlulrOn MARY
land will do their part in building good
roads by granting reduced rates on all
carloads of crushed stone to be used in
constructing permanent hard roads in
the state. The railroad companies were
quick to grasp the benefits which they
would derive through freight rates and
through more prompt delivery OF
freights if the roads leading to and
from their stations are hard and durable.
Hence, their ready compliance with the
request of the state roads commission
for lower rates than the average.
1t was rather a difficult problem
which the ratemakers of the railroad
companies confronted when they were
asked to grant a reduced rate on crush
ed stone. If the cars hauling the stone
had to pass through another state, as
would be the case, for illustration, in
transporting stone over the Pennsyl-
vania from both Port Deposit and ad-
jacent quarries to any county on the
Eastern Shore, except Cecil, the inter-
state Commerce Commission would
have to been consulted and would have
to give its consent, after notice of 80
days, to the requested reduction, since
the cars would have to pass through
another state. Delaware, additional
to Maryland. The Baltimore & Ohio
and the Western Maryland companies
are similarly handicapped along GER
tain portions of their route, since the
two roads freely mingle in Maryland
and West Virginia west at Harpers
Ferry.
In the confines of Maryland, however,
the railroad and steamboat companies
are not hampered by the Interstate
Commerce Commission and the reduc-
ton in rates for crushed stone can be
at figure which will cover the cost of
transportation.
When the State Roads Commission
started out on its mission to build per-
manent highways it recognized the me-
cessity of low freight rates in order to
bring the building of roads within rea
sonable cost. Chief Engineer Crosby
was instructed to secure from the rail-
road companies as low rates as possible
Thus the Baltimore and Ohio Rail-
road Company submitted the following
rates from and to points within the
state.
From Grove, Md, (where crushed
stone plant is in operation) to Boyd,
Md, 35c, per 1000 pounds Zone tony;
From Grove to Gaithersburg, Md,
4Oc. per 2,ee0 pounds.
From Grove to Chevy Chase, Md,
45c, 1000.
The rate from Chevy Chase was re-
duced from SOC, several months ago.
The other rates on crushed stone
have been in effect some time and are
considered very reasonable and as how
as the railroad company feels justified
in making.
1t is understood that the PennsYl
vania, the Northern Central and the
Western Maryland Railroad Companies
have granted rates equally as reason
able.
Governor Crothers, President John
NJ. Tucker and other members of the
Roads Commission, are convinced,
however, that while the railroad rates
are reasonable and just, water trans
portion will be used whenever possible,
the many inlets of the Chesapeake Bay,
it is claimed, making the water routes
for more cheaper and more desirable.
It is proposed to use the steamers of the
State Fishery Force as tugs to tow
barges loaded with crushed stone to
accessible points of the Eastern Shore
and in Southern Maryland.
"Will the Eastern Shore Southern
Maryland counties, which have no
stone quarries within their boundaries,
be provided with stone roads -
"Not altogether said Governor
Crothers, to whom the question was
directed. sThe exclusive use of crush
ed stone would 10 so expensive that
/ fear the counties, which are SO far
distant from the quarries, would not
have as many miles of improved roads
as they want and need. We must find
some cheaper material in order to pro-
vide as great mileage as possible for
each county. Of course, we can dis
tribut some crushed stone, despite
its great cost. The best thing to do is
to use stone for those roads in greatest
use an d to use some other less e1pen
siye material for roads not so much in
-