Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1913-03-14
Can We Afford To Continue Build-
ing State Roads.
The Carroll Record, Taneytown.

always have been, that our expensive road
building cannot be continued at the ex-
pense of the general taxpayer Weused to
hear great deal about the tax on automO-
biles paying the interest on the road debt,
and of other more or less rosy expedients
which would act as buffers between the
debt and the people, and we trust that
they are still present, though invisible to
The average eye.
All want many more good roads, provided
we can get them well within our ability
to pay for them; that is, we want service
able, sane roads, for ordinary use and
travel, and not for automobile speeding
and fancy touring. The first productions
by our scientific road architects are not re-
assuring; their chief noteworthy feature
is their excessive cost; but we are hoping
for better results from those now getting
ready for years work. We give below
an article by Frank f. Williams, editor of
the Cecil Wing, for what it may be worth
Mr.. Williams may be unnecessarily pessi-
mistic; but what he says is plain. and
easily controvertible if not strictly true.
His article was written on invitation of the
Baltimore News. and is somewhat abridged:
walter B. Miller, member of the State
Roads Commission of Maryland, appeared
before the Delaware Legislature, recently,
in behalf of the Dupont boulevard through
fhnt CfoNa In, ,Nr Il,
and as an intended strengthening thereof
Mr. Miller said: "A movement is under
way in Maryland whereby a system of
roads, 1900 miles in length, will be built
to connect every county seat with Balti-
more Had that statement come from the
average man, it might be allowed to pass
unnoticed. Coming however, from men,
Der of the State Roads Commission, one is
constrained to ask Mr.. Miller, in the name
of the Maryland taxpayers, just what he
precisely means by such statement
Twelve hundred miles of road, at $l0,0
per miles. would cost the State the neat
little sum of $l2,000,000. AS matter of
fact the roads thus far built have been
costing more than $4,000 per mile. But
let it 50 at 10000 per mile. Does any
man in his senses imagine that this State
can put the sum of $l2,000000 into
movement that would bring so small
return to the whole people Of the State?
II. Let me mention the matter of the
tax rate involved in the project. You can
tax the heart out of industry. You can
discourage business enterprise by burden
ing il with excessive taxation. The peo-
pie of Baltimore city are feeling the force
of this statement, very keenly at the pre-
sent time, and many of the city's wisest
and ablest financiers are not little dis
turbed by the mounting tax rate in this
State. 1t has more than doubled in the
next year And what then? Why. then,
the people of the State, burdened beyond
endurance by excessive taxation, are going
to rise in protest-aye. are going to utter
a laundering order to stop hear the
mutterings of this oncomin9 order from
every quarter of the State, and from no
where more than from your own people Of
Baltimore.
Don't the people want the good roads
OF course, they want them There are a
great many things we want in this world
that are totally beyond our reach. We
will shortly have spent some 50 900, 900 for
road work in this State, and the tax rate
will be trebled. Is it thinkable that the
people will approve the expenditure Of
$l2. 100000 with the consequent proper
tional increase in the tax rate for mileage
of improved roads that is only fractional
part Of the total road mileage of the State
-. What next? Well after you have
pushed the tax rate to a point beyond en-
durance the people will call halt And
where are we as a State? Why, we are
with an excessively high tax rate and with
nothing to show for it in the way of roads
for the people. Let me illustrate that
statement. In my county (CeciD there
are, in round numbers 600 miles of public
road. Out of 100000 of State road
loans we will build in that county from IL
to Is miles Of road. and no more. That is.
about one mile TO 40 is an improved road.
Can this be called roads for the people
There are good many correlated questions
that arise here which ! shall not stop to
discuss. am simply trying to call atten-
ton just now to the fact that the exces-
sive tax rate entailed by the building and
maintenance of these roads is going to
shortly put necessary stop to the work
and leave the people unserved by better
highways. though excessively burdened by
taxation Not only so. il is going to leave
them so burdened by taxation and expen-
sive maintenance Of the roads that they
will have little heart or means for the
moderate and needful care Of the dirt roads
which will be the roads still used by nine
tenths of the county people.
80. ! want to further urge the point that
the people must take this matter into their
very careful and well-infOrmed considera-
ton. The gentlemen who kindly burden
themselves with the management Of our
political affairs are entirely too much con-
sumed with that exactine occupation to
find time for the consideration Of this pro-
position, despite the fact that ii is the
biggest problem with which the State has
ever grappled. One is astonished at the
Ignorance and Indifference as TO this mat
ter by the great majority Of the men who
affect leadershipof our public affairs They
are content to dismiss II all with the sim
pie assumption that the people want good
roads and ought to have them. But we
are past that point in dealing with this
problem. We are come to the place where
II is needful to ask whether in the light of
present developments we can afford to
have them, and If so, how can we afford
il. No man who has dug into this subject
with an open mind and well-balanced