Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1915-06-11
The Laytonsville Road.
Mr.. Beverly r. Codwise,

| mE. DeNeIly X. GOuWlSe,
Washington Grove, Md.
Dear Sir:-Without desiring to comment
on the resolution adopted at the conven-
ton and published over your signature,
permit me to say | was unable to hear
what was said in the discussion Of the
Laytonsville road at the recent meeting
and am informed there were some asser-
tons made which were unfounded in fact
and understandable.
One of the speakers (Mr. Riggs after
the meeting said he simply repeated THE
talk in the stores"
think therefore the taxpayers of Lay
louisville district and the county officials
are entitled to a statement of the facts as
of record.
The first section of this road was COM
pleted May 9Th, 1906, and the last section
May 18th. 1909, at total cost of $27,-
Ol5.77. Before the completion of the last
section there was expended for repairs on
sections l. 2 and 3 $5,048.95, of which
sum former Commissioner Allnutt states
Mr.. Crosby agreed to charge one-half to
the State This was not done. The actual
amount paid by the State was $l3 ,368.13.
In 1910 the section from Williams cor
ner to Carter's lane had broken through
badly and $l,822,17 was spent in repairs.
In 1911 the whole road showed failure, in
Guiding the portion repaired the previous
year. and it was then seen that to repair
the road in the ordinary manner was a
waste of money. The only thing to do was
to reconstruct as substantially as possible.
Senator Lee had already endeavored to
bring about changes in plans and methods
OF construction Of State Aid roads and he
joined with the County Commissioners in
urging upon the State Roads Commission
that this road had not been properly
planned or constructed and ought not to
have been accepted and that the State
should bear an equal share In the cost Of
its reconstruction. They declined to do
this. holding that the law did not intend
that State Aid should be extended to re-
construction. When the State Roads Com
mission was reorganized in 1912. the case
was again presented to 1t and every en-
deavOr made by Senator Lee and the
county authorities to obtain reconsidera-
ton, but without effect In the Legisla-
ture Of 1914 an amendment to the State
Aid Law was passed which would have
permitted this road to receive State Aid
for reconstruction, but 1t was vetoed by
Gov. Goldsborough at the instance of the
State Roads Commission.
In the meantime $4,000. which had be-
come available for the reconstruction of
this road. had at the request of yourself
Mr.. Christopher, Mr.. Riggs and others, rep
resenting taxpayers in Laytonsville dis
trict, been applied to the construction of
a section of tar concrete, and looking to
the future construction of the balance of
the road it was deemed advisable TO en-
deavOr to open quarries Of native stone at
Ohio Williams. The stone proving soft.
after large sum had been expended in
opening the quarry, the balance was OBJ
tanned at Wards, Carter's and Gray's
The crushing plant being set up at Ohio
Williams, stone had been hauled to it from
Wards and piled, and when operations
were stopped in williams quarry he pro-
hibited the use Of his land for our plant to
crush it. To have removed this stone and
set up again would have entailed delay
and extra cost, and the matter was finally
adjusted by an agreement to pay him for
use Of his land on yardage basis-this
amounted to $6712. II would take TOD
much space to 60 into all the details Of
this work. but all items Of expense, sup
ported by proper vouchers, are of record
in the County Commissioners Office.
| The State had careful and capable
enBlneeT-lnbpcCtOI, paul ny tntlll, at all
times on the work, who kept check on
the labor and material. and the contractor
had every incentive to do good and eco
nomic work. That some minor defects de-
veloped in a small area last year and have
become slightly enlarged this year is
liability all such work is under. These
defective spots could have been OccasiOned
by any one Of several causes-instable
foundation, Overheated batch &c. They
are to be repaired this season and il should
not cost more than SIS to restore the
surface to a good condition.
This is a slight maintenance charge for
nearly two years for $500 square yards
Of surface, about seven-tenths Of cent
per square yard per year
The actual cost was as follows:
Rent use of land for mixer (Ca-
sNuNNN