The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1912-12-12
MARYLAND IS EXTEND
INC HER GOOD ROADS
Fast Forging to Front Among Good
Roads SATISFACTORILY Develop
mentFoIIows Roads Improvement.
By w. W. CROSBY
Recently Chief Engineer Maryland Good
Roads Commission.

1904, at the instance of state wide
committee of prominent citizens sup
ported 10y an awakened public opinion.
passed the first act making material
provision for the improvement, with
the aid of the state, of the public high
ways. Mr. S. NJ. Shoemaker, a public
spirited citizen of Baltimore county,
was the secretary and leading advocate
perhaps Of this committee and the act
is popularity referred to as the "Shoe-
maker law"
Previously, in 1898, DR. William Bull
lock Clark, superintendent of the state
geological and economic survey, had Sc
cured the passage of bill providing for
an annual appropriation by the state for
the purposes of investigating the actual
highway conditions through the state,
for the publishing Of the results of such
Investigations and for the furnishing of
expert advice in road matters when so
requested.
In 1900, at the instance of Delegate
Redmond G. Stewart of Baltimore coun-
ty, the Legislature provided by law for
2 trained roads engineer to be employed
by this county, the richest and most
| populous of any in the state and the re-
suits of the earlier legislation were I'M
ques tionably powerful influences in the
passage of the act of 1907.
The writer, after initiating the work
under the new law in Baltimore county,
was made lin May, 1905, when, by its
provision, the Shoemaker law went into
effect its chief engineer. At that time
but two or three counties in the state
were doing anything ike efficient work
on their roads. Baltimore county had
proved the value of employing trained
men in this connection and Allegheny
and Carroll counties had followed the
lead. The necessities for training, skill,
proper planning, efficiency and for
greater expenditures per mile than pre-
viously where the custom had become
apparent to the people and they were
beginning to respond as generously and
heartily as might be expected.
The entrance of the state with its
resources as an ally to the counties in
their efforts was appreciated. Under
the Shoemaker law the counties with
the approval of the state) selected the
roads to be improved, the state furnish
ed the engineering and expert advice
and, when the work was completed,
paid one half the cost.
Immediately a great and general
movement became noticeable through
out the counties and continued annually
until applications for aid were reaching
the state in amount far exceeding the
state funds available
incidentally an important result de-
veloped, and one which had been hoped
for. 1t had been realized that stability
and ultimate satisfaction in road matters
would best be expected by the develop
ment of the local resources. That is,
to encourage the counties to shift their
road burdens to the states shoulders
was not as desirable as to develop their
own abilities to att least carry the road
burdens that could be said properly to
be strictly or mainly local.
Therefore every encouragement was
given by the state to the employment
by the counties of their own roads en-
gineers and in short time the number
of such referred to three was increas-
ed to Is. Other counties are joining
the list as fast as local conditions seem
to permit.
At the end'of 1907, Is miles of modern
road had been built, scattered through
most of the counties of the state and
serving as object lessons for emulation
by the local authorities, and applications
were on file for state aid on PA miles
more.
In 1906 the Legislature made the first
provision for the improvement by the
state itself of certain main roads of
statewide importance. DR.. Richard S.
Hill. delegate from Prince Georges
county, secured the passage of an act
appropriating from the state treasury
to the geological survey 800. 900 toward
the improvement of the Baltimore
| Washington road thus securing recog-
milton to the fact that there are main
thoroughfares of sufficient Importance
to the state as whole, and requiring
improvement of such a character as to
be beyond the proper expectations to
be had of the counties through which
they pass. and for which it remains to
the state itself to improve properly.
In its report for the years 1906 and
1907 the state geological and economic
survey commission presented the follow
ing recommendations:
The commission feels, in view of the
widely awakened interest in road mat
tiers and the present discussion of pro.
posed legislation for the early improve
ment of the road of the state, that 1t
should report the conclusions it had
reached as a result of its experience to
date in state road construction. These
/ arn aS follOwc.