The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1910-05-13
WHO IS RiGHTI

WHO IS RiGHTr
4 hot contest has been waged dur.
ing the past week between the local
officials o. Montgomery County
under the leadership Of Senator Blair
Lee and the state Road Commrs-
sion, the issue being whether or
not the state road money shall be
turned over to local authorities to
build roads according to their own
specifications.
Senator Lee claims with consider
able force that their Shoemaker
roads, which are built under the
same plans and specifications AS the
present state road, are too expensive
in construction and maintenance.
Montgomery County wishes to do
less grading, use fewer stones aud
cheaper cuIvert and bridge constrrc.
ton, thereby securing more miles q
roads.
II seems to US that il is yitally
wrong to build highways Of the
same character in all sections OF the
state. What is good enough for
rural sections OF this county is not
good enough for a boulevard lust
outside Of Baltimore. For instance
a grade which would be very ohlec-
tionable on the latter would not
trouble US, and we would much
sooner stand the grade and eflpy
more mileage But in allowing
elasticity in specifications to suit
different sections it is the duty OF the
Commission to require that "A
lasting road be built. On this basis
no grade should exceed eight per
cent beyond which the stone bed will
not lie, and sufficient stones should
be required to make solid bed ac-
cording to recognized standards.
Our disposition is to chafe because
under the law the States a,:h is
stronger than the County :, but when
we reflect that Baltimore City pays
sixty-6ve per cent of the cost OF con.
struction it is only fair and Just TO
her that n recognized standard OF
excellence should not be sacrificed to
local wishes. We are too prone in
Hartford, as well as elsewhere, to
severely criticisc because weak points
of more or less varied character and
frequency soon develop in our new
roads. Such always has been aud
probably always will be the case.
When one considers the vast vaiia.
tons existing in the natural bed it
would be miraculous il all Of these
could be successfully overcome, e..
cept at an unjustiiiable expense IN
the original construction. For this
reason too much importance cannot
be laid on fighting these weak points
as soon as they develop; the repair
department in the Commission
office is quite ns important in its
way rs is the construction depart.
ment.
We do feel that more success
should I've met with in preventing
raveling of the surface. This trouble
does not seem to us to be surprising.
a thin enamclcd coat Of dust is
packed on the surface, which the
sweeping and clawing pull OF the
automobile, and the sharp shoes of
winter-shod horses soon break up,
There being no binder dust between
the stones to tie them together rs
mortar does in stone wall, they
soon work loose We do not claim
TO be an expert on the subject, but
TO many this scenes to he the main
cause of raveling, and the view is
strengthened where this method Of
construction has not been used
For instance, two years ago coat
of No. . stones and the dust mixed
with them was spread on Broadway,
l,el Air, and today the surface is
like concrete pavement though
severely subjected to all the tests
which country road is ever called
on to stand.
The public should hesitate to com
plain OF lack Of perfection in the
work of the Commission which has
never yet been reached by human
cndeavor, but the commission should
welcome friendly inquiry and discus.
sion of a work which should be
worth so much to this and subse.