The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1909-06-04
THE STATE AS a
ROAD BUILDER

Governor Crothers, Chairman
Tucker and some other members of
the State Road Commission, are not
satisfied with the bids for road con.
struction on the Eastern Shore and
in Southern Maryland. This is an
old story, q story of too excessive
bids by contractors, bids that went
as high as Sl8 900 a mile in Somer.
set county. This figure, by the way,
represents more than the value of
AUDITING farms for more than three
miles on either side.
Pie bids for the construction of
roads in Southern Maryland and on
the Eastern Shore, brought Governor
Crothers back to his original idea
that the state can build more
economically than individual con-
tractors. His contention was dem
onstrated by the bid of Wicomico
county commissioners, who have
offered to build five and one-half
miles of stone road within the esti-
mate of the commission. A mile OF
read in Cecil county will be built as
an experiment to demonstrate the
cost of stone construction.
A study OF the bids of contractors
has convinced Governor Crothers
and Chairman Tucker that the time
has arrived for the state to have q
say in the Improvement of the road
for which the Legislature has appro,
priated S5,00O,0O0-$4,O 100000 fol-
ths counties and 100000 fol-
Baltimore city's suburbs.
"We have reached the point,
said Governor Crothers yesterday
''at which we must decide where We
are at, so to speak. We have giver
the road contractors chance
Their bids in most cases are beyond
the ability Of The state to meet them
We are com mitted to the improve
ment Of our highways. If We accept
the bids of the contractors we shall
not be able to build the roads which
we have promised.
The crisis has been reached. We
must as a state embark in roaC
building. When l say this I must
call attention to the TACT that The
state is committed not only to origi
nal road building, but also to The
maintenance of good roads. 1t il
not to be assumed that any gsoG
road, however we'll constructed
whether by the state or by private
contractors, will stand the modern
wear and tear of automobiles ane
other vehicles. In other words the
state is obligated to keep these goo6
roads in good repair.
81 am convinced that the state
can erect stoneerushing plant OF
one of the banks of the SIsquehanns
River and secure material for frs
road building and for subsequen
repairs cheaper than private con
tractor can. We can use convict
labor to operate this proposed plant
II have no personal or pecuniary
interests IN any stone-q quarry on the
Susquehanna River. If had an in
terest on either side Of the river ]
would not advocate a state stone
crushing plant. But here is The
solid fact. There is no waterway
in Maryland that has the same
transportation facilities as the Sus
quehanna River, which also has ar
unlimited supply of rock. The rail.
road companies have not given US q
desirable rate down the Eastern
Shore and through the Contra
Maryland counties. We can use as
tugs to haul scows laden with crush
ed navy stone from the Susqushanna
to the Eastern Shore and Southern
Maryland,
II am in favor of a stone-crush
ing plant erected by the state and
fu )ported by the state because in
the 0rst construction Of i'm proved
highways and in teeir maintenance
the state will save money.-Balti
more American.