The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1908-03-21

Mr.. C1agget Talks About Road-Build-
ing-Whst he Learned from Mr.. Crosby
Mr.. William II. Claggett, well known con-
tractor of Stevenson, Green Spring Valley. and
former road supervisor of the Sd district, bad
something interesting to say about road build
ms few days ago.
Il have been q contractor under the Shoe
maker law and lost money before was educa-
ted up to roadbuiding," said Mr.. Clagett.
The trouble with 30 many contractors who
are kicking against Mr.. w. W. Crosby is that
they do not understand road building and as q
result before they finish their contracts they
md they have lost money Then they do not
want to live up to the specifications, and be-
cause Mr.. Crosby insists on them doing so
they do not like him.
Il took my first contract in 1906 and will
say now that did not know at the time how
to build q road. The only howl against the
survey is By Just such contractors who did not
know their business. Although lost money
on my first contract. / took another, and after
q careful study Of the art-because 1t is an art
II it Is done properly-I made money and turned
over to the State good road
"Mr. Crosby only asks the contractors to
carry out their specifications and nothing more.
know be Is good man to work under, andif
those contractors who know anything about
road building will do their part toward fulfill
ing their contracts they will say the same thing.
will say further that If ever there is any extra
work to be done outside of the specifications
the contractor is always allowed extra pay
for it.
Il was road supervisor for three years un-
der the old system of building roads under the
County Commissioners 1t was poor system
and nothing resulted but bad roads, all be-
cause the Commissioners did not know any
thing about the work.
"Road:building should be in the hands Of
the Geological Survey. 1t can give better re-
suits than any paid commission. The thingto
do is to keep it out of politics. and in few
years Maryland will have some excellent
highways.
II remember one instance in which Mr..
Crosby saved the State money. A contractor
bid on mile of road. He was stonemason,
reading the specifications. Before he was half
Through with the job he began to see where he
was loser, and because he could not get out
of bis contract he began to criticise Mr.. Crosby.
When he was compelled to finish the work he
found he had lost money and rebelled.
s"Since lost money on my first contract l
have built nearly three miles of roadway, and
in each case have made money. The roads
that built have been declared by Automobiles
among the best in the State, and have been
congratulated time and again. The work was
done under Mr.. Crosby supervision.
1.-The only thing to do is pass the Biddison
bill and let the good work continue under the
Geological Survey. know something about
what results are accomplished by persons who
do not understand such work. With paid
commission to build the roads in this State the
results would be little, fany better than those
accomplished by the County Commissioners.
for one contractor am ready to build roads
under the Geological Survey and will guaran-
tee that the people will be pleased when the
road is completed"