FREE ROADS FOR BALTIMORE.

The New York Times
May 5, 1900

Railway Deeds Parts of Turnpikes to City and County.

Special to The New York Times.

BALTIMORE, May 4.—With a view to keeping the public roads leading out of Baltimore free from tolls the United Railways Company has made a free deed of gift to Baltimore City and Baltimore County of those portions of the Baltimore and York Turnpike, the Baltimore and Hartford Turnpike, and the Belair Turnpike which lie within the limits of the city and county.

The company officials say they are in the railway, not the turnpike business, and that their object is to build up and develop the city and surrounding country, acting upon the theory that such development is certain to benefit the railway company.  To secure proper development, they claim all roads entering the city should be free.

The York Road Turnpike is thirty miles long, the Harford Road eighteen miles, and the Belair Road nine miles.  Two miles of each of the former roads and one mile of the latter lie within the city limits.  On the York Road in the city limits the company has spent $40,000 grading and macadamizing.  The Hartford Road cost the company originally $30,000, and on it the company has spent $8,000 in improvements.  The Belair Road cost the company $25,000.