The globe-independent. (Hagerstown, Md.) 1943-19??, 1953-12-03

geSt tnat atter you nave read ana 81
your views on the subject to the n
25 November 1858
Board of County Commissioners
Court House
Hagerstown, Maryland
Gentlemen:
| appreciate your courtesy in lis
tening to my suggestions regarding
our county road system yesterday. In
accordance with your wishes | am
very happy to make them in a writ
ten statement.
In the next twelve years Wash
ington County will have many mil
lions of dollars to spend on roads. AS
the situation exists today there is no
long range program set up to insure
that this money will be spent eco
nomically and equitably to the best
advantage of every taxpayer in the
county.
When the State was faced with the
same problem after the war Gov
ernor Lane appointed an Advisory
Commission to assist the State Roads
Commission. With its assistance and
advice a fouryear program was set
up. Now the plan has been extended
under Governor McKeldin, and a 12-
year program, subject to review by
the legislature every four years, has
been enacted. It is under this pro-
gram that Washington County will
receive greatly increased funds for
construction of county roads.
l would like to suggest that -
year program be set up in the county
to coincide with the States. Like
any other long range plan, such as
our own county's regarding school
construction, it should be sufficiently
flexible to meet changing conditions
but still rigid enough to serve as a
guide.
AS stated to you yesterday it is
my suggestion that an advisory com
mission of interested, able Washing
ton Countians be appointed to study
the problem and advise with you on
long range proposition of spending
these millions of dollars and attempt
ing to bring our county out of the
mud. Originally it was my idea that
such a group should consist of seven
to twelve people, but 1 definitely
agree with your thoughts that a COM
mission of five members would UNI
doubtedly be a more closely knit
and workable group. 1t will still be
sufficiently broad in its scope to be
truly representative of the county.
There are many, many problems
which such commission might aid
you in establishing policy.
At the present time the county
does not attempt to build schools or
other buildings. The State Roads
Commission does not attempt to
build roads and, in most cases, it
does not even attempt to undertake
major repair jobs with its own forces.
| do not believe that it is wise for
Washington County to attempt to
construct roads with its own forces.
Nor to make major repairs for the
most part. An advisory commission
should study this factor to determine
if the people of Washington County
would not be better served by con-
tracing such construction and repair
work under the usual closed bid
system with the county roads depart
ment with capable technical super
vision, overseeing the work.
During WPA days quite a few
miles of paved roads were built
throughout the county. Previous to
that time the county built many
miles. Because of the war and its
aftermath little was ACCOMPLISHED
for many years. A good percentage
of the older paved roads in the coun-
ty are not only outmoded but ex-
tremely dangerous under the heavy
traffic they are called on to carry.
There are many, many deathtraps.
A detailed study of the roads of the
county by a commission, assisted by
technical help, should reveal how
much work is necessary to give
Washington County a roads system
comparable to our state system with
IN the twelve year period. The study
should set up the points of construc-
ton and major repair work. It
would relieve your board of much of
the pressure from various sections of
the county for immediate building
of roads which, however desirable
and necessary they might be, should
take their turn in the whole program.
It has been the practice to build
roads only if all rights of-way were
donated. Under such a system one
property owner, perhaps one of a
great many. NAV hold I'M a hiob