The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1939-01-05
PUBLIC MEETING TURNED
INTO A COURT TRIAL -
Several Take Issue With Com
missiOners on Purchase of Road
Machinery; Recommendations
Are Very Few
ONE MOTION ADOPTED

A public meeting called Tor
last Saturday afternoon at the
Garrett County Court House in
Oakland supposedly TO discuss
proposed legislation and make
recommendations to the Garrett
County delegation was almost a
blank as far as the original pur-
pose was concerned, the discus
sion (if one may term it as such)
being turned into a trial" for
the Board of County Commits
sioners because they had pur-
chased certain road machinery
for use in speeding up WPA road
project work.
Even this question was not brought
to a head by motion criticising or
upholding the Commissioners for the
action they had taken, and the meet
ing, after about three hours of ar
gument, rather abruptly came to an
end as people seemed to tire of the
futility of it all and left the court
room.
Prior to the meeting coming to
close, however, motion carried "a
to &c, which was to the effect that
the roads of the county should be re-
tanned under the State Roads sys-
tenn unless the Board of County Com
missioners can show the legislators
and taxpayers that it is more eco
nomical for them to be taken care of
by the Commissioners.
This one motion brought about dis
cussions lasting about an hour, some
wanting to know how this could be
demonstrated Senator Clifford Friend
announced that he had already pledg-
ed himself during the prediction
CT mpaign to return the roads to the
county if such step were possible.
Mr.. Friend also intimated that a
number of legislators were of the
opinion that if the roads were turned
back to the counties that portion of
the road machinery now in use by the
State would have to be purchased by
the counties at an appraised value,
such a stipulation probably appearing
in the present road law.
Cheston H. Browning, County Com
missioner, termed much of the State
owned equipment as out of date, and
that if the Legislature turned the
roads back to the counties under such
a stipulation, that they would be bur-
dening the taxpayers unnecessarily.
"The Commissioners could not be held
responsible for this" he said.
William Miller, William R. Brown
ing and a few others, criticized the
Commissioners for purchasing the
road machinery, amounting to ap-
proximately $4,000. Equipment cost
ing about $4,000 has already been
delivered and is being demonstrated
over the territory by representatives
of the Alban Tractor Company, OF
Baltimore.
Purchase of the balance of equip
ment, which included stone crushers
and compressors, has been held up,
pending further developments and a
further study of the problem. Paul
Friend, member of the Commits
sioners' Board, expressed himself that
perhaps the board had acted too has
tily, but reasserted his conviction that
roads were badly needed in the county
and that their plan was workable.
The machinery was purchased after
consulting with the State Roads Com
mission in Baltimore and no bids were
asked.
Attesting to the fact that roads in
outlying districts were in poor condi-
ton were several taxpayers from
Friendsville and other communities in
IllC COlAilCy'
Those criticising the County Com
missioners were fearful that the tax
rate would be raised, but the Commits
sioners gave the assurance that no
raise was anticipated beyond a few
cents and possibly none at all.
About $50 people were attending
the meeting when it opened. Truman
C. Bittinger was named chairman and
Darwin B. Martin, secretary. Legisla-
tors were asked to step to the front to
hear all the recommendations that
were expected to be forthcoming.
Senator Friend opened the question of
roads-and it began.
When a few who. could "still take
it" remained and the road motion was
passed, Major E. B. Carey, represent