The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1911-03-10

your own side" 1t is good ad-
vice for this Government and
for those who are administering
it: Skinny on your own side. "
Communication from Mr.. Dent.
The following communication was
sent to the Secretary of Eureka Grange
by Mr.. Louis Dent, Road Engineer of
this county:
HYATTsvILLE, Md,
Jan. goth, 1871.
MIR. CHAS HEITMULLER,
Master of Chillum Grange,
DEAR SIR In answer to your re-
cent request for information as to the
intent and development of the new
system for maintaining the public
roads and bridges of this county,
shall endeavor to give briefly the pur-
pose of the Wells Road Law, its pro-
visions, the work already done to-
ward perfectlng a system, and the
plans of the Road Board for the COM
ing season.
The Wells Road Law was the di-
rect outgrowth of great dlssatisfac-
ton on the part of many citizens
of this county with the manner in
which the public roads were being re-
paired and constructed under the
former lack of system. 1t was posi-
BILE for the Road Commissioners to
authorize any citizen, experience ed or
incompetent, conscientious or I'M
scrupulous, to repair a certain road or
roads and submit bill therefor. 1t
is easy to conjecture how such lack
of system resulted, Personal or poll
tlcal friends were rewarded with en-
ployment on the public roads, and
their often-times exhorbitant bills
paid without even investigation. OF
course, it is to be supposed that often
fair return was had for the money
expended, but frequently, it seems,
large sums were paid for hire of teams
unable to do days work. Such
were some of the causes of dlssatls-
faction but even conceding integrity
and scrupulous honesty on the part of
the great number OF men throughout
the county engaged in working the
roads, still the conviction grew in the
minds of many of the substantial citi-
zens that system, eliminating ex-
horbitant bills for team hire by own
ership of equipment, and transferring
the actual duties OF repairing the pub
lie roads from many necessarily mex
perienced men to four trained men di-
rectly responsible to the people of the
county for the entire period of office,
would prove vastly more effective in
securing good roads then the obs oIete
method then obtaining.
AS a result we now have law which
provides for the purchase of all ne
cessary equipment for road work and
for the appointment, and after 1913,
the election of four Road Directors to
give their undivided attention to road
work each to have entire charge of
the roads of his district, except as
modified by the more general authorl-
ty Of a Road Engineer of their selec-
ton. Under the provisions of the
Road Law the members of the Board,
Messrs. S. A. Miller, of District No. L,
succeeded, because of i'll health, by
lanes V. Shea; G. w. c. Francis of
District No. 2, VIM. E. Mudd of Dis
trict No. 3, and w. S. Chichester, were
duly appointed and entered into Office
in May, 1910. Shortly thereafter they
selected Mr.. Mudd to preside over the
Board, retained Messrs. 7. Van Cla-
gett and R. W.Wells, as joint counsel.
and appointed the writer to be Road
Engineer. By June 1st all was in
readiness TO begin work if only the
funds could be had for purchasing
equipment.
Nearly two months after the pass
age of the law, which was the limit
allowed for the sale of the bonds, the
County Commissioners, which Board
had formerly controlled the Road
Funds, sold the bonds in the latter
part of May for $16,S4o 90, but, for
reasons best understood by them, the
money proceeding therefrom was not
turned over to the Road Board for
still another two months, or to be ex.
act, the 2nd of August.
Immediate action was taken to pur-
chase equipment. Eight mules were
bought in the neighboring markets,
and twenty-four were brought from
St. Louis at an average cost of $3.50 90
per pair, which included freight, ex-
penses of trip, and veterinarians COM
mission. Estimates were secured
from the various manufacturers of
road machinery, and four rollers, four
road machines. ten ploWs, and eight
scoops promptly secured. From the
nearby dealers the remaining equip
ment was purchased, including twelve
wagons, sixteen sets of harness, i'm
plenents, and the various accessories
and supplies.
A rough estimate of the equipment
fund would be:
CIR.
From sale of road bonds. .$16,84o 90
DR..
To 81 mules. .$8,4S2 OF
Road machinery 2,oI6 90
Harness, wagons
and implements 1905 Sc
Tents, stoves, etc TAT 20
Engineers field
instruments and
motorcycle..... 55I IS
'' Office furniture
and suppies.... 22z IS
-- 1915 p
Bal. on hand Feb. T, 1o1I..$ 1924 II
=.