The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1909-04-08
COUNTY BOARDS TO MEET
Governor Calls Gathering OF Com
missioners For April 81.

GONeTnOT CfOtnerS Monday sent out
invitations to the meeting of County
Commissioners. which he has scheduled
for April 81. The Invitations were sent
particularly to the president of each
board, to the counsel and to the clerk.
1t is stated in the invitations that such
other members as care to come will be
welcome, but the presence of these offic-
ials is especially desired. The meeting
will be held at 10 O'Clock in the morn
ing in the State Board rooms of the
Union Trust Building.
Interest in the coming conference has
been aroused all over the state and the
developments there will be watched
closely by the people in every county.
No such gathering has ever been called
together before, and exactly what is to
be Sprung upon the County Commits
siOners when they arrive is not known.
The Governor, in explaining his pur-
/ pose in assembling the County Commits
siOners, indicates that he has in mind
some practical reforms in which he
hopes to get the cooperation of the
county people.
| One of these IS the question Of repair
ing roads. In the opinion of the Gov
ernor as well as others who have had
opportunity for looking into the matter
the present method in force in most of
/ the couL ties leaves much to be desired.
( In one or two counties, up-to-date
/ modern, progressive methods are used
and the people get full value for the
money they spend. In a number of
them this is not The case 1t is under
/ stood the Governor believes that the
system of mending roads should be uni
form in all the counties and he has a
number of suggestions along this line,
by which money can be saved and bet
/ ter results obtained, which he will lay
before the Commissioners as well as to
ask them for suggestions and informa-
ton.
/ Another proposition which the Gov
ernor expects to bring up is that of
election expenses. 1t is his belief that
at least $25, 600, and probably much
more, can be saved in the counties at
each election without in the slightest
impairing the efficiency and fairness Of
the elections. He also believes that
similar sum can be saved at each cleo
ton in Baltimore city, if the right
method is adopted He expects to get
some information and to ask some
questions on this line at the meeting as
well as to make some proposals.
A third matter which will come up is
the question of uniform county govern
ment The Governor will submit to the
County Commissioners whe her better
government, less expensive and more
efficient, cannot be obtained by having
each county governed in one way and
that the most modern way, than by hav-
ing different system in each county.
He expects to get from the meeting
much information that will be of value
to him, and from the responses received
since the announcement was first made
that he intended to call this conference,
it is probable that his ideas will meet
with an energetic response.
The interest which the county people
have taken in the State road question
has been of the most intense kind The
Governor is anxious to impress upon the
minds of the County Commissioners,
who are the governing bodies in the
different counties, that unless the work
the State is doing in building good roads
is supplemented by the counties them
selves it will fall short of what is really
desired. Each county, he believes,
should find in the work the State is doing
and the money it is spending in building
good roads, a stimulant to action for
tself, not only in building roads to serve
as compliments to the State roads, but
in properly repairing those they have.