The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1909-03-06
Correspondence Baltimore County Union.
A LITTLE COMMON SENSE IN BUILD
ING ROADS.

BALTIMORE COUNTY, February goth, 1909.
To the Editors Of the Baltimore County Union,
ToaOson, Md.-Dear SiYs AS a resident of Balti-
more county naturally take somewhat of an
interest in the various schemes proposed for
lettering our roads and am heartily In favor of
any practicable plan, but certainly it would
seem that our present Road Commission have
committed the State and county to system
which is too expensive if any but few roads
are to be improved. l have in mind one piece
of road built In Baltimore county recently, I'M
der the so called ShoemakerLaw which is said to
have cost $4,000, and it is only one mile long.
OF course the instancel just cited is hardly an
average case as the mile of road there improved
required two fairly good-sized bridges, which
were built of concrete, and also great deal of
the money was spent in trying to get an almost
dead level road, which to the writer seemed an
unnecessary, or at least an unwise, way to part
with good cash.
Now we all want ideal roads, but the question
is how long can the peoples pocketbooks stand
such strain. and how many miles of road will
be built on any such expensive plan? 1t is use
less to say the county is going to help the State
out. etc. We can't get away from the PROPOSE
ton that the taxpayers have got to foot the bill
Now our so-called scientific commission" road
per mile, or nything like it they usually figure
on about $1,000 to $1,000 per mile, but when we
remember that Baltimore county has over 1000
miles of dedicated county roads, not including
turnpikes, it will be seen that we are going at
too expensive rate per mile If any but few
roads are to be improved within q reasonable
time.
The good roads system should be extended to
all parts of the county, and the idea of making
a few through roads should be abandoned.
Through roads are only useful to automobilists'
and while this is not good reason to abandon
them, yet it must be remembered that railroads
carry through traffic nowadays, and that what
| we need are good roads leading to the various
| stations and also into the large market towns
| and cities.
To lessen the cost of building roads why don't
| the builders use material which can be obtained
locally, instead of sending off and having ship
| ped by railroads expensive crushed rock, with
the great cost of unloading and hauling. espe-
cially when the road building is being done at a
distance from the railroad? The experts laugh
| at flint rock, yet venture to say that road
| with solid foundation of uncrushed flint, taken
right from the fields and topped off with better
material and then rolled, would be almost ideal.
By interesting the farmers and offering them a
tanned at nominal figure, especially when the
lands are being plowed and narrowed spring and
fall and the rock picked off.
Then as to the grading. Can we afford to cut
every hill we come to to dead level, or would
it not be better to improve the grades in COM
nonsense way by relieving the bad grades, but
not necessarily trying to level everything, es-
| pecially when the big fills do not become solid
for years, thereby making it impossible to main
tain the surface properly? 1t will not do for
the present commission" road builders to say
that their way is the only way to build ideal
| roads, because the roads which they build are
| not good substantial roads, as every piece they
build gives evidence. For example Park Heights
| avenue extended from Eccleston Station, in
| Green Spring Valley, to Druid Ridge Cemetery.
We have, fortunately, in Baltimore county an
/ excellent roads engineer, Mr.. H. G. Shirley, who
knows how to build good roads and cheaply, too
| practical commonsense man, and it is earnest
| ly hoped that he will not become infected with
| the new" IDEAS
| One reform should be inaugurated at once,
| and that is to change the present system of ap-
| pointing road supervisors who are supposed to
| keep the roads In repair, but fail lamentably.
| The County Commissioners. who appoint the
| supervisors, can't resist the temptation to put
| in good politicians who generally turn out to be
| mighty poor road members, and undoubtedly the
| roads engineer should have the authority to ap-
| point the supervisors, and be then held respon-
| sible for both the building and maintenance of
the roads. Yours very truly. W. H. d.