The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1910-06-02
LEE ATTACKS SURVEY
Says Members Are Better Politicians
Than Road Builders.

compllshed politicians in the State? 1t
is to be hoped that none of the local
Democratic or Republican organization
people in Baltimore city will be offended
yet recent developments show such
wonderful skill end nerve on the part
of the Geological Survey road building
group in the face of adverse facts, cal
culated to knock an ordinary politician
down and out, that the ganeness and
keenness of the survey gentlemen call
for some public recognition and dis
eliminating appreciation. Their skill
recalls the general, who, in a somewhat
distant province like the Legislature
at Annapolis), was subjected to a
crushing defeat which his opponents
could not Immediately follow up, leav-
ing the enterprising gentleman to send
messengers to his government describ-
ing glorious victory and calling for
reinforcements to overwhelm a retreat
ing foe
THE State Roads law passed in 1908
practically required by its terms, and
as the Governor seemed to construe it,
that the State road building should be
largely directed by the Geological Sur
vey group who had built the Shoemaker
roads prior thereto. Consequently two
members of the survey and Mr.. Shoe
maker, in absolute sympathy with them,
We're appointed on the State commits
sion and the engineer of the survey was
made the chief engineer Of the State
Roads Commission.
Throughout the State, however,
there was even then marked reaction in
public sentiment, based on experience,
against the Shoemaker roads, both as
to their cost and their durability, ard
an engineering attitude which threat
ened many miles of solid old pixies with
practical demolition when the local pub
lie thought them worthy of respectful
improvement.
THE Governor was advised of how
the Shoemaker roads were being built
and how they We're breaking through,
especially in Montgomery county. but
he preferred to leave the changes he
saw were necessary to be made after
consideration by the General Assembly.
In his message he recommended that
the Geological Survey, as a road build
ing agency, be abolished and its work
turned over to the State Roads Com
mission. a bill was introduced in the
Legislature by me to carry out that
recommendation of the Governor and
also one giving him power to appoint
an additional commissioner on the State
Roads Commission, with the express
purpose OF putting an end to the con-
troll by the survey group of the policy
of the State Roads Commission.
ut might not be apparent to the pub
lie how three members of the commits
sion-or half-could practically control
it, but by reference to the act of 1908
it will be seen that the law calls ex-
presslv for action with the consent Of
a majority of the commission and
that at critical places in the law the
action Of the commission must be based
upon the recommendation in writing of
the chief engineer, Mr.. Crosby
''All the legislation to correct this
condition which was supported by the
Governor and his friends was actively
resisted by Mr. Shoemaker and Mr..
Crosby and dlsapproved of by DR.. Rem
sen and DR.. Clark, geological members
of the State Roads Commission. There
was a hearing before the Finance Com
mittee of the Senate and a full discus
sion in the Legislature itself, and both
bills We're passed and approved by the
Governor
'In addition to changes for the Geo
logical Survey road construction there
was also provision in these bills for
economically providing the stone and
other materials to make roads, the in
intention Of the Legislature being to
use local stone and other local road
building material as far as possible and
also to accumulate such material at
available points for distributing it bv
water to counties where such material
could not be found the main object Of
providing a system for furnishing ma
terial being to cheaper the cost and to
cut down the freight rates, which had
amounted to about one-ffth of all the
money expended by the Geological Sur
vey in certain counties.
"As an illustration, in Montgomery
county where | am familiar with the
figures, over $4,000 was spent in
freight to build Shoemaker roads out of
a total expenditure Of about $2l4,O0O.
''After this legislative and Executive
disapproval of their conduct, in the
face of all the facts and recent history.
these adroit survey politicians. pending
the arrival of June LIST, when the sur
vey's work must be turned over and be-
fore the executive acts can be taken
which may be necessary to carry out
the will of the Legislature, are demon
strating to the public their great skill
as politicians, cOntrasted with their