The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1910-03-18
THE SHOEMAKER ROAD.


THE SHOEMAKER ROAD.
The macadam road being built i'm
this State and commonly called the
Shoemaker Road, has neither met with
approval al to cost nor displayed such
enduring qualities a. to give satisfac-
ton. In fact it's cost alone in this
county has caused it to be viewed with
positive disapproval. The principle
underlying state assistance in building
roads is right and no fault can be
found with 1t upon this ground. The
character of road now being con-
structed under its provisions does not
stand the wear and tear as it is sub
jected to In Carroll county, and it al
90 costs more than a farming COM
munity can afford. Is the law respon-
sible for this :? If it is, then it should
be repealed; IL 1t Il not, the cause Of
this condition should De remedied.
There are two classes of roads made
OF broken stone, one Is constructed as
our pixies, and il called the telford
road; the other Ia made al the roads
are being built under the Shoemaker
law and IL called, the macadam road,
both kinds of roads, taking their
names from Scotch engineers. Where
stone is scarce the macadam road is
necessarily the cheapest, and will last
az long az the Telford road, if the
climate is not too wet, or subject to
sudden changes in temperature. III,
however, stone is plentiful and you
have much freezing and thawing and
low or wet places the telford road is
best and cheapest, because 1t drains
better and does not crack when the
ground freezes; in addition it does not
require the expensive grading and
draining and shaping OF road bed be-
fore the stones are laid a. the macad
am road. Why not then build pixies or
telford roads instead Of macadam ? Y
We do not know how to account for
this omission unless it is because the
men who have petitioned for road
to be constructed under the Shoe
maker law have asked for macadam
road, or not asking Tor any particular
kind have left it's selection to the
County Commissioners who have ask
ed for the macadam road. But the
law does not require the construction
alone Of macadam roads, but under its
provisions you may build a macadam
or a telford or other stone road
or a road constructed of gravel, or of
other good material. Thus it is ap-
parent that practically any kind Of
road can be improved under this act
and that the fault lies with
the County Commissioners in al
lowing the Geological Survey to
say what kind of : road shall be
with the County Commissioners in
either allowing the Geological Survey
to say what kind of road shall be
built, or with the petitioners in asking
for macadam road. You can rest
assured that the Geological Survey
will stand always for the macadam
road, but the County Commissioners
should not.
80 do not blame the Shoemaker
law for present conditions, but see
that its broad provisions are taken ad-
vantage OF, and ask to have built with
it, aid only the kind of road that will
suit your locality. It's an outrage
that when, Carroll county's share of
the funds provided by this law Is only
between nine and ten thousand dollars,
over seven thousand if it should be
spent on a mile Of road in one COM
munity. we don't want fourteen
Observation-Disclosures in this
county. A telford road serving the
same purpose without SO much grad
ing can BE- easily built at q cost not
exceeding three to four thousand doll
lars per mile. They are the kind we
need and we would get about four
miles of road where we now get one.
In addition they would last longer
and not crackWhen the ground freezes.
But do not blame the Shoemaker law
for this condition, blame yourself for
not asking for the proper kind of road.
OF course, it can be said that the
law does not say who shall determine
the character of road to be built, but
implicitly leaves it to the Geological
Survey. But the reply Is, that IL you
ask for "a particular kind OF road
the County Commissioners cannot
force you to take any other at
your expense, even IL they desire
to, which we donot believe they would.
In addition, it would BE- very simple
matter to amend the law making the
request ,of the County Commissioners
a. to the character of road to be- built,
binding upon the Geological Survey.