Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-04-02
ROCKY ROADS
OF DELAWARE"
Baltimore Man Impressed With
Their Deplorable
Condition.

The automobile editor of the Baltimore
News. who signs himself as 81. +. OBJ,
last Saturday, IN an article In his paper,
had something to say about bad roads
IN Delaware, which he had just experience
Cd on trip from Syracuse to Baltimore,
from which the following is quoted:
II is in the deepest sorrow and not
at all in anger that these few words
viii be written about the deplorable
roads in the State of Delaware. par
ticularlv between Wilmington and the
MARYLAND State line. Ones heart really
goes out to Delaware. At least these
were my thoughts, and | grieved for
that State as early yesterday morning
| motored through the grand old
State of Delaware en- route to Baiti-
more from Syracuse, \. Y. Don't CEN
sure Delaware the unfortunate
State-it needs sympathy; its people
need sympathy, and yet deep down in
onos heart he feels as though both
Delaware and its people Gts governor,
its legislators, etc. should at least
have some compassion for the feelings
of motorists whom she would welcome
to her borders as visitors.
Many are the rough and rocky roads
| have traversed by motorcar and by
back There is also the proverbial
Rocky Road TO Dublin" These all
fade into insignihcance when compared
u Delaware roads, particularly from
Wilmington to the Maryland State
line. Series after series of ruts from
one and half TO two feet deep, lows
of burrows closely resembling a newly
plowct i'd. little ravincS and sunken
mud dcns, protrudlng rocks and
boulders,-thcse arc all applicable to the
roads in Delaware, particularly be
tween Wilmington and the Maryland
State line The highway between Will
mington and the Pennsylvania State
line is far from being smooth road,
but it is beautiful boulevard com
pared TO the stretch of despicablc road
way west of Wilmington en- route 10
Baltimore.
The route traversed from Syracuse
WAS through Utica, Amerstam, Albany,
Poughkeepsie, Tarrytown, New York
City, Newark, Elizabeth, Perth Amboy,
Trenton, Philadelphia, Wilmington and
Baltimore.
To get back on the subject of roads,
New York State roads, having been
properly built, are in wonderful shape.
There was no skimping or scraplng in
State. the result being one OF the finest
chains Of roads in the country. These
ro#ds arc withstanding the heavy traf-
fic of trucks and cars due TO the con-
gested freight-car situation. Portions
Of the New jersey and Pennsylvania
roads are almost deplorable, but these
two States roads are on the whole so
good it is a difficult matter to censure
them Marvlands beautiful State roads
from the Delaware line TO Baltimore
have many bad, rough spots, but the
Roads Commission exhibited real head
work" n putting crews Of men 10 work
improving these bad spots. At this
iuncture | wish 10 say-and / VEN
ture this opinion from what / know are
the traffic conditions on the State high
WAYS of New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania
and other States-that undue criticism
has 4 been heaped by the State roads
officials on the motortruck as being the
cause for the breakdown Of our roads
If the State Roads Commission would
cease its criticism Of the new, modern
mode OF transportation-the motor
truck-and take a few lessons in road
building and road maintenance from
other States, our own BelaIr road would
not have 10 be SO extensively repaired
as Is the case today. Even with this
said, credit is due Maryland for her
wonderful State roads system.
Anent Delaware, what has been said
of this unfortunate State has been ex-
pressed only IN sorrow, pity and not in
anger, because | really enjoyed my ride
over Delaware's rough roads in the
Franklin brougham.