The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1926-02-04
27O2 MILES OF new ROADS
In SEVENTEEN YEARS
Growth in Maryland Is Due To
Policy of Present Needs,
Says Chairman.

teen years Of uninterrupted highway
improvement. The record is one that
is matched by no other State in the
Union. Some States may have gone
faster at times, but none has moved
forward with such steady persis-
tence.
In making program f road work
and sticking to it as made, Maryland
is in position to challenge the national
family as whole.
The amount expended on the Mary
land roads in 1925 was S6,500,0O0.
New construction received S3,000,000,
while repairs and improvements were
carried on at a cost of S3,500,000.
The mileage increase for the year
was represented by seventy-five miles
of concrete, twenty-five miles of gray
ell and five miles of resurfaced macad-
am, aggregating 103 miles.
These are the figures furnished The
Sunday Sun by John N. Mackal,
chairman of the State Roads Commits
sion.
did Not Just Happen"
The record prompted the chairman
to dip into the past and size up the
Maryland road program from its
modern beginning, in 1908. Since that
time, the new road construction of
the State has produced total of g.
702 miles.
"This growth did not just happen"
explained Mr.. Mackall. at has been
the result of adherence to a single
policy-the policy of building roads to
suit the traffic of the immediate pres
ent.
"There has been no attempt to
build in anticipation of an unknown
future. Each highway has been built
as required at the moment. For future
needs we have learned to depend upon
widening the roads as originally con-
structed.
"This has saved much expense"
'The policy has been we'll worth
while. 1t is program that has kept
us from creating too great strain on
the taxpayers. To this factor l at
tribute the entire success Of the
State program of road Improvement"
''Not All So Fortunate"
"Not all the states have been so
fortunate Elsewhere I have seen
heavy expenditures along the line Of
building for the needs of the future
''The plan does not always work.
Heavy expenditures for the construc-
ton of roads exceeding immediate
requirements have been followed by
vigorous reaction on the part of tax
payers. Voters have refused to sane
ton further OUTLAWS and the result
has been interrupted development.
"This is complication from which
Maryland has been altogether free.
"Take glimpse at the actual work
ing of our policy. Under our system
of accounting and practice, the main
tenance fund cares for the widening
of roadways as well as for ordinary
repairs. This makes it possible for
us to widen highways out of annual
income, instead of being forced to
charge the cost to capital account, as
would be necessary if we attempted,
at the outset, to build for future re-
quirements.
Operation of Policy.
"The year just ended gives figures
which illustrate the operations of this
policy. In the matter of maintenance
we have proceeded along the line of
expecting the motor vehicle, as the
chief user of the highways, to make
reasonable contribution toward the
cost of efficient upkeep. This is ac-
complished through the collection of
registration fees and the 2-cent-a-gal-
Ion tax on gasoline. In 1925 the State
received from these sources S4,861, 400
up to a time near the close of the
twelve month period.
"From this amount came deductions
for the cost of maintaining the Auto
mobile Commissioners office and for
the expense Of the Traffic Court,
with a further deduction of S430,000
paid into the city treasury of Bal
timore.
"These charges left us with main
tenance fund of S3,500,0OO, from
which we were able to provide widen
ing of roadways as required"
individuality is found in the States
policy of maintenance as well as in
the program of construction. Chair
man Mackall points out that Mary
land is the one State in the Union
which protects it's highways by sys-
TEN of rigid regulation of the loads
that may be hauled.
In this line of activity the authori-
ties have pursued policy which is
credited with important results.
prevention of wear and tear is an
essential factor in adequate mainte-
nance" said Chairman Mackall. "The
highways must not be subjected to
loads which exceed their carrying ca