Evening journal., 1913-02-13
BOULEVARD A
GREAT PUBLIC
IMPROVEMENT
Maryland Road Expert Says
Selfish Interests Should
Not be Permitted
to Defeat Project
MARYLAND WANTS
THE HIGHWAY BUILT

Special to THE EVENING JOURNAL.
DOVER, Del, Feb. 13.-Praising the
DUPONT boulevard as a great public
benefit and a proposition that the
State could not we'll afTord to turn
down, Walter b. Miller of Salisbury.
Md. State Road Commissioner of
Maryland addressed the Delaware
Legislature yesterday afternoon. He
is an eminent authority on good roads.
His primary object in appearing be-
fore the legislators was to urge con-
s!deration by this State of Maryland,
FOR, he pointed out. If the DUPONT
Boulevard law is repealed and the
boulevard Is not built, Maryland will
not get the advantage of a road TO
connect the boulevard at the State
line with Maryland's network of mod
ern roads at Berlin, from which place
highways branch to the Atlantic
Ocean on the cast, to Salisbury on the
west. and southwark into Virginia.
Disclaiming any intention of in
truding into Delaware's domestic af-
fairs Commissioner Miller took up
discussion of the DUPONT Boulevard
project as a general beneficial propO-
sition that should not be permitted to
be defeated by selfish or reactionary
private interests.
Commissioner Miller was question
ed by Senator Reinhardt and Sena
tor Walls as TO details of boulevard
construction. and in response to the
questions he stated that Maryland
builds no modern roads with improv-
ed roadway less than fourteen feet.
which width he said was sufficient for
two teams to pass on. He also said
that Maryland builds no roads less
than twenty-four feet wide from
shoulder to shoulder
Would Buy Farms.
Following the meeting Of the Legis-
lature, Commissioner Miller and some
men got into a discussion Of the pro-
ject in the lobby of the State House.
Some OF the men were favorable to the
boulevard proposition and some were
opposed 10 it. In the course of the
discussion. after one man said that
the boulevard would take eight acres
Of his farm for n right OF way, to
which he was opposed, Mr.. Miller
made the statement that he would be
glad to secure the right Of way for
a boulevard through the State by the
following method He would name
le man, the owner OF the property
would name one man. the two to name
q referee to fix a fair valuation OF
the land to be taken as a right of way.
Mr.. Miller said he could get a hun
dred million dollars tomorrow to buy
the farms through which a boulevard
would pass, and would donate the
right of way for the bouevard, and
would put up 100000 bond with the
State as an evidence Of good faith.
President pro tenn Marshall pre-
sided over the joint session. Refer
ring to the fact that he was to speak
Immediately following the Lincoln
memorial service, Mr.. Miller remarked
in beginning his address to the Legis-
lature;
Il hope that the material and moral
effect OF my subject justifies a discus
sion of il in any public place and on
any occasion. / know nothing any
more far-reaching in the economy of
delights and benefits TO mankind and
womankind than the opportunity OF
communication by means Of modern
highways. l know nothing that is
going to do more to solve the many
perplexing problems Of the future
than good roads. I could solve the
problem Of the high cost OF living by
giving greater opportunities for the
agricultural communities in the way
Of communication between themselves
and the city"
Mr.. Miller went on to speak Of the
good roads movement in Maryland,
which state is taking its place at the
forefront in the improvements of its
highways. Maryland contemplates a
project, and there is no opposition to
it. for the construction Of 1000 miles
Of thoroughly up-to-date highways, to
connect the county seat Of every
county in the state with Baltimore, in
dependent of waterways and other
sources and cOnyeniences of travel,
continued Mr. Miller.
"The last legislature appropriated
$4,000 TO connect up the modern roads
at Berlin with the DUPONT boulevard
] understand it is a matter of uncer-
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