The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1918-03-07
STATE ROADS TO Be
KEPT IN GOOD CONDITION
MAYORS. Counciiiucn And Legislators
Agree That Maryland Roads Must
lie Kept in Good Condition.

Annapolis. March 6.-As a result
CT 4 nedIlag before Il JOIN Injecting
Of the Senate Finance Committee and
the House Ways and Means Commit
Zee today,it is practically certain that
the STATE roads Commission will be
given sufficient money to maintain
the State roads system. In large
gathering 81 legislators, ana county
and town officials, there was no dis
senting voices to the proposition that
the States roads system, the best in
the country, must be kept in proper !
condition.
The question in the minds of the
leaders here is how the money shall
be raised Chairman Frank H. |
Zouck, of the Reads Commission, es-
timated the cost of maintenance at ,
approximately $1,200,0O0. That is
$1,000 mile, on the average, for
1900 miles of road. In addition to
that, provision must be made for the
maintenance Of State-aid roads, II
they are to be taken over by the
State. after being put in order by
the counties, as provided under the
act of 1916. These will cost about
500 a mile to maintain, according
to Chairman Zouck. There are about
800 miles of these roads not yet ia
ken over by the State.
1t is regarded as probable that
some increases will be made to the
license fees for automobiles, as one
means of raising the additional new
revenue, and it is almost certainty
that there will be a substantial in
crease in the license charges for nea-
Wy trucks, which do serious damage
to the roads. Osborne |. Iellott.
counsel to the Automobile Club of
Maryland, suggested that Governor
Harrington appoint commission, to
report within one week, upon new
schedule of license charges for auto
mobiles and trucks. Later in the
day the Governor appointed Mr.. Vel
lott, Chairman Zouck, Henry G.Shlr-
ley and Automobile Commissioner
Baughman as this commission.
Mr.. Yellott, who made the final
speech at the hearing, made a state
ment of the views of the organized
motorists of the State. He said that
at this time the Maryland motorists
pay more, per capita, in license char
ges, than those of any other State.
But, he continued, although the mo-
florists feel that they have done their
part in that the proceeds of their Ii
cense charges nave been the sole
roads maintenance in recent years,
they realize that the State system
must be maintained and are willing
to do more than their part, that is,
they are willing 10 bear a reasonable
increase to help meet the mainte-
nance emergency.
However, Nh Yellott said that the
motorists believe that all elements
interested in roads should bear a part
of the burden. He suggested, there
fore, that horse-drawn vehicles
which, he said, have ton-mileage
almost as great as the automobiles,
pay something. He also suggested
that as land owners profit directly
by the modern roasd system and that
it would be only fair if they con-
tributed to the roads maintenance
ffitlld through a direct tax Of l or
cents.
The additional sum for mainte
nance purposes which must be raised
is considerable, according to Chair
man Zouck's figures. AS against his
estimate of $1,200,000 as the main
tenance cost for the State system,
based on the 1917 experience, he
said that last year the net proceeds
for maintenance from the Commits
sioner of Motor Vehicles were only
900. 1t has been estimated
that in the current year these pro-
ceeds may go above 100000. But
even if that good fortune attends,
there still will be needed several
hundred thousand dollars for the
State system, not to mention the
State-aid roads
And the demand of the counties
that the Roads Commission take ov-
er the State-aid roads is strong. 1t
has been found that the roads de-
partments of the counties are not
equipped to maintain modern roads,
so that improvements costing some
times between $4,000 and $4,000
! per mile have deteriorated rapidly
soon after construction.
1t was for that reason that the
Legislature provided two years so
| that the Roads Commission should
take over the State-aid roads and