Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1919-02-22
HEAVY AUTO TRU CHS DAM
AGING STATE ROADS.


now one OF the most important
questions before the people Of
this State. one that means nigh
er or lower taxation according
to the treatment OF the ca>c IS
the regulation and tax placed
upon trucks in Maryland Ice
Gently Chairman Zouck OF the
Maryland State Roads CommI~-
sion made an address in Chicago
before the Association of state
Highway Officials in which he
brought out facts which should
be known to every taxpayer IN
the State. Senator John Walter
Smith has also brought to the
attention Of the Senate the mat
ter Of damage to Maryland
roads by Government trucks.
Mr.. Zouck said:
Immense vans and large
trucks are run pell-mell and
recklessly over the roads with
out regard to the other traffic,
as everyone who has used our
highways has eXper E n &c d.
This is being allowed simply be-
cause no concerted action has
been taken by the highway off
cialS to counteract the aggreS-
Siveness of the hackers OF this
method of transportation. We
have truck and freight lines
running from one end OF the
State to the other in competi-
ton with railroads, but if rail
road companies should decide
that freight can he better han
died by the use of trucks on our
highways. and adopt that meth
cd. great howl would be made
by the public that the railroads
should pay an adequate compen-
sation for the use OF these roads
and that the trucks should be
dted.
e destruction caused by
these trucks will soon show that
it would have been better and
much cheaper for Maryland to
have constructed narrow gauge
railroads along some of the
main highways and allowed
them to be used free Of charge
than to permit these heavy
trucks. which are now using our
roads to destroy them. rs they
are now doing.
At the present time a hauling
company is operating a number
of trucks between Philadelphia
and Baltimore. a distance of loo
miles, and charges Sl.Oo for Ice
pounds of freight in less than
truck loads, on $4,000 a ton. and
special rates for freight in full
truck loads, although ii is APP
proXimately Is cents per ton
mile. Railroads are doing this
hauling , cents per ton mile and
less. When this company com
menced to operate. il complain
ed against the charges imposed
by this State and it appealed to
the Highways Transport Com
mittee at Washington, protest
ing against our license charges.
We were asked to appear before
that Committee, which we did,
and, to our surprise and amaze
ment. it insisted that the own
ers of trucks be allowed to use
our roads free Of charge in
order that Ito use its stereotype
expression) WE MIGHT HELP
TO WIN THE WAR but this
Committee did not know or
care, apparently. what the haul
ing companies taxed the public.
The argument of the parties
advocating the free use Of high
"ays by trucks is that the gen
al taxpayer should keep up
lese roads. They overlook the
CT that there are many miles
lads to be maintained by the
raj taxpayer, and that the
:, roads the truck owners are
asked to help maintain (espec-
tally in this State) are those
quilt especially for and adapted
o the character of traffic used
y them. However, notwith-
landing this fact. the general
axpayers have built these roads
cost of millions of dollars
ID have contributed in the past
their upkeep, as well as to the
,st of repairing the damage
me by the heavy trucks. from
any of which no return is re-
we'd. A condition like this will
'ot long be permitted, for no