Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1918-02-23
LEGISLATION FOR
IMPROVED ROADS
STATE ROADS SHOULD BE CON
NECTED THROUGH TOWNS.
4 Meritorious Measure Which Should
Receive the support From Every
Senator and Representative From
All the Counties OF the State.

The Municipal Congress of Mary
land held their meeting at the Hotel
Rcnncrt, Baltimore. on Wednesday
evening. Feb 6. and on Thursday. by
arrangement went to Annapolis and
appeared before the Senate Finance
Committee for hearing on bill
which the Congress had drawn up and
was presented BY Senator l.. Atwood
Bennett, Of Wicomico County.
The bill in substance, asks for the
appropriation Of 5000, 900 for the CON
struction of uncompletcd gaps in the
State road system through the incor-
porated towns. This bill also pro
vides that the State take over such
portion, of the streets in the various
towns that arr nov constructed Of a
hard material without cost to the State
/ except TO maintain them. and also to
maintain the unconnected gaps after
being constructed.
The committee at the Hotel Rem
merit meeting the previous night ap-
pointed a, spokesman before the Fl
nance Committee the following W.
J. Arthur Of Havre de Grace. Il. A.
Johnson. attorney TO the Mayor and
City Council OF Salisbury. and Mayor
Jones' President Of the Municipal
Congress.
About 20 representatives of the var
ious towns on the eastern and west
ern shores were present at the hearing
before the Finance Committee and
Mayor Jones received a number of tel
egrams and letters from others who
could not be there for various reasons.
stating that they were in full sym
pathy with the bill.
Il was the consensus of opinion that
the Finance Committee was favorably
impressed with the justice Of the bill
After the hearing the whole body
called on the Governor and presented
to him also the Importance of this bill
The building of State roads was in
auguratcd in 1908 when the late Aus
tin l.. Crothers wa Governor. The
Legislature in 1905 arranged by bond
isuc S5.0O00oO for that purpose
The amount of S2l,000.000 has been
>pcnt from then up till the presen.
time for the construction of good roads
through bond issues and otherwise
It was. no doubt. the purpose in the
beginning 10 constluc; the main arte-
rial lines from the limits OF Western
Maryland to the limits OF Eastern
Maryland. connecting Baltimore with
the counties and one county seat with
another. The main artery as first
planned has been constructed with the
exception of through incorporated
TOWNS.
The beneh, derived by the people
roads branching from the main artery
was 50 great that the demand for other
roads branching from htc main artery
delayed the construction through in
corporated towns. but il Is thought
that time has now come when the
main arterial system. as no doubt
planned in the first place, should b.
complctcd; that is. construction
through the incorporated towns con
Meeting the main arteries that have
only been constructed up to the town
limits.
II is thought that it was the inten-
tion OF the previous Legislature 20 ar
range To connect these towns up with
the State system and not to require
the various towns 10 do this work
for the reason that the laws that have
been made regulating automobiles
have been made apparently covering
the whole State, including the towns
through which the State road had not
been constructed; for instance, the
automobile license; none of the towns
get any proportion OF them. The For
Hire motor car license fees go TO the
maintenance of the State roads. hte
towns receiving no revenue from them
as they are not allowed to license any
motor vehicle that is licensed by the
State, although number Of these ve-
hices are used in the towns almost
exclusively, not only on the main ar
teries but on all other streets. The
fines for speeding of automobiles
within the corporate limits of the
towns go to the State for the main
tenance of good roads. So il would
seem it has ever been in the mind of
the Legislature to connect these towns
up for the reason of allowing none of
the towns any proportion of the reve-
nue. referred to.
Inasmuch as it has been 10 years
since the beginning of the building