The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1912-02-02
STATE ROAD BOARD REPORTS.
Detailed Account OF Work Sent To
Governor.

The much-sought and long-looked for
detailed account Of the expenditures Of
the State Roads Commission. covering all
transactions until the close Of December
81, 1911. was made public Tuesday night
by Chairman Tucker, OF the commission.
I II is exceedingly voluminous and among
the many thousand words and numerals
lis included the cost of almost everything
from ice water and towels to stretch of
macadam road.
Both the accounts Of expenditures on
The $5, 600, 900 appropriated in 1908, and
$T,ooo.ooo appropriated in 1910 are
set forth.
The financial statement shows that to
December 81 the expenditures Of the COM
mission amounted to 81. o44, ,os4.ao.
All Of the $1,000. 600 except $1,000. 600
was allotted to the counties Of the state
The latter amount was given to Baltimore.
The report covering the Baltimore aud
Washington boulevard fund. which was
appropriated in 1910. shows that the con-
struction charges amounted to. $27. 382. .oI; !;
the supervision, $3.ar5, az; the advertis-
ing, $I24 So; rights Of way, $40 So; main
tenance, $666o.6o.
The balance Of the 81, 900. 900 loan Of
1910. after the payment for the Annapolis
Boulevard and the two bridges provided
for in the act. is to be distributed among
the counties and will be sufficient to take
care of the balances on all of the
contracts.
The report shows also that 463 miles Of
highways, including the toll roads pur-
chased. have been built and are now in
cluded in the State system.
The purchase Of the toll roads was re-
garded as wise move upon the part of
the Roads Commission, as the whole
stretch Of these roads can now be put in
the condition of the modern macadam
road at much less than one-half the cost
| of the new road. or from $4,000 to SIS, 900
a mile. About 100000 has been spent
on construction Of bridges alone. These
include the long bridge across the Sus-
quehanna river at conowingo, that at Deer
creek, the bridge over the Nanticoke river
and the bridge over Herring run.
The average cost per mile Of road con.
structed is shown to be $Io,o for trap
rock. $S. 500 for limestone and $1,000 for
gravel macadsm. One million dollars of
the original SIS, 900, 600 loan was allotted
to Baltimore city.
The commission has repaired and re-
built a great many of the old bridges
along the National pike. Gravel roads
have been built in sections Of the State
where material could be secured that
could pass the test Of the engineering de-
partment. The whole system in the
State has been located and this work has
been highly recommended by those who
have been over it. Machinery has been
purchased and paid for and distributed
over the State where required, which will
greatly lessen the cost of road work in
the future.
The equipment included anything
needed in road building from sprinkler
10 stone crusher and road roller. The
commission prides itself on the small
amount paid for right-of-way. Out Of
the total of $4,524.4o spent for this pur-
pose. $3.o43.6o was spent in connection
with the building of the Liberty and Har-
ford roads.
The commission feels that it is better to
build the very best roads rather than
build greater stretch of road that would
be less durable. On macadam roads is
put II or IL inches of loose stone. and
this is rolled to s inches. The grading is
shown to be generally about one-eight of
the cost Of the road, and the bridging
and draining at least as much.
| All roads constructed other than by
contract are under the direct supervision
Of the Roads Commission.