The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1945-10-04
COMMISSIONERS
REPLY TOSLAM
ABOUT HIGHWAY
Says Article Which Appeared In
C0nnellsville Paper Did Not
Give Real Facts

Last weeks issue carrying a copy
Of an article which recently appeared
in the Daily Courier, of Connellsville,
Pa, relative to a portion of the new
county road from Friendsville to the
State line near Addison, drew a reply
this week from the County Commiss-
| toner's. According to these COmmiss-
toner's, w. G.. Meyers, Jonas w. Sines
and John w. Herman, the article did
not give the real facts which could
easily have been ascertained if the.
writer had made inquiry" The Com
missioners stated they "have not
known of any plans to 'organize
movement to break open the reasons
behind the delay in construction of
| the remaining uncompleted link in the
road as stated in the article referred
to, and there is no reason for any such
movement"
The Commissioners declared the
contract let for the building of the
road in question did not include this
| final link of approximately one mile
and it was not completed before war
time conditions made the same prac-
tically impossible, only the grading
having been done. 1t was not origin
ally contemplated that the graded
surface of this part of the new road,
principally through the Ernest Crit
fifth property, would be used until
fully completed and thrown open to
travel generally, but when the bridge
on the Pennsylvania side was built
last year and it was found that the
Pennsylvania part of the road could
be opened the County Commissioners
endeavored to have the remaining
part in Maryland also completed.
The Commissioners state that they
"have made every effort to get this
done, have endeavored for the past
two years to interest road contractors
in the project, have advertised for
bids, without obtaining any and have
advertised for and sought in. other
ways to obtain the labor and material
necessary for the building of the road
under the supervision Of the County
Roads Department, all without sue
cess, until in recent weeks"
Recently the Commissioners stated
they had succeeded in interesting a
road contractor in this project and
preliminary agreement was entered
into for completion of the road. I'm
der this, stone has been crushed at
the quarry of Victor Bros. near the
town of Friendsville and it is now up
to the contractor to lay and roll the
stone and complete the road. Work
has been delayed. The Commissioners
are bringing "all possible pressure to
bear and hope that it can and will be
done shortly. The writer of the article
in question, or anyone else, could have
had this information had he been suf-
| fciently interested to inquire by let
ter or in person at any time but
| the Commissioners state that he did
not make inquiry and that none of the
many protests which he mentions
have been made to them.
They also pointed out that coun-
| ty road from Mill Run to Route 40,
east of Addison, has remained open
for travel at all times and has been
worked by the County Roads depart
ment. This road is available, they de-
clare, to all who wish to travel be-
tween the State Line and Friends
vile, and no lengthy detour, such as
suggested by the article, is necessary.
The Commissioners also pointed
out that although the Federal gov
eminent agreed to pay to the county
the sum of $751; 800 for building this
road SO percent of which has been
paid, and the remaining II percent
withheld pending completion, 1.-THE eX-
penditures by the former Board of
County Commissioners for rights Of
way and construction so far exceeded
the estimates of the government that
the road cannot be completed for that
amount and that they, the present
Commissioners, found it necessary to
include in the 1915 levy the sum of
$4,000 as the estimated amount re
quired to be paid from county funds
for this purpose"
The Commissioners said they do not
believe now that this appropriation
will be sufficient to complete this and
the other road from Selbysport to
Frendsville which was embodied in