The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1912-12-12

Dut SOOO business judgment on the part
Of the state to provide shat the main
roads of this system should be improved
and maintained by the state commission
at the expense of the state.
Third That the Improvement of the
remainder of the system should be at
the JOINT expense of the state and the
counties.
Fourth-That the minor roads should
be built and maintained by the counties
and localities themselves.
Fifth-That present conditions have
shown the Importance of many of the
turnpikes as sections of the general
system. While undoubtedly the opera
ton of these highways has contributed
IN the past to the development of the
state, conditions are rapidly approaching
the point where their further existence
as toll roads IS entirety unueslranle.
Any legislation looking to the abolish
ment of the tur1pike5 as toll roads
should recognize the private rights and
property values in the turnpines them
selves, and IN all cases Of assumption by
the state or counties of the turnpikes,
fair compensation should be MADE to
private interests for the property taken
| from them.
! Sixth-That any legislation providing
for the taking by the state of the turn
pixies should allow great discretion to
the state commission to prevent the
acquisition of unnecessary property or
| turnpikes unsuited to the development
/ of system of market roads. Such
legislation should be broad enough to
allow the commission to acquire for the
state for improvement and maintenance,
either turnpike5 or main roads, as the
case might require
Gov. A. L. Crothers seized the oppor-
! tunitY and made the road work feature
of his administration from 1908 to 1911
inclusive. He secured the passage of an
act by the Legislature of 1908 creating
state road commission Ton which were
by the act two members of the geologi-
cal survey, providing for a state bond
issue of $1,000, 600 and tho selection by
this commission of a system OF main
roads Tin and throughout all the coun-
ties of the state" and connecting the
county seats with Baltimore city.
The writer was made chief engineer
to this commission also and the utmost
cooperation between the survey and the
commission ii their work was secured.
This Legislature also increased the
number of county road engineers and
made further appropriations for the
BaltimoreW Washington road. The road
work through the state was again
! pushed forward through the accelerati0n
given it by by the entrance of the state
itself into the matter on a large scale
The counties perhaps, feeling the
relief from the heaviest OF their road
burdens, could thus give more attention
and money to the state aided roads or to
their own local work. The state and
! the state-aided roads furnished exam
| pies for the counties to pattern after
The Legislature Of 1910 uaue Iuruner
appropriations, some for specific pur-
poses, such as inter-county bridges and
the acknowledgements road and fur
Their increased the bond issues for state
roads and the number of county en-
gineers.
The results on the roads of the states
are already appreciable to their visitors.
| Now complaints are heard concerning
gaps" not concerning whole routes.
| Property development has rapidly fol-
lowed the improvements of theroads and
the value of farms along them has
doubled and even trebled.
The ordinary county work has much
improved in character and efficiency.
Better methods of maintenance, more
economical methods in the expenditure
of the annual revenues for construction
have resulted in rendering available
from such revenues money for invest
ment under the state-aid law.
The comparisons to be drawn between
| the completed pieces of state or state
aid road have spulred the localities to
rival them with their own work. SO the
ends above referred to seem to be in
sight
The state roads commission has Sc
lected a state system of nearly 1900
miles of main road to be improved by the
state cut of the $1,000 miles of public
road estimated to exist IN the state At
present nearly 300 of these have been
completed, with propably 200 more miles
now under construction. The Baltimore
Washington road is nearley finished, as
is also the Baltimore Annapolis road.
Nearly 200 miles of state aid road
have been completed and probably 50
more are now under construction. The
state aid appropriation from the state
treasury has been increased (by act of
1912 so per cent Ito $500, 900 annually
and great increase in the results may
be looked for.
In short, Maryland will soon be in the
fropf ropL Of crOod rood dc c+otao &c che 20