Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1894-02-06
The Comfy Roads.
ARLINGTON Va Feb.

To the Editor Of the Alexandria Gazette
Dear Sir: At a meeting Of the citi
zens of Alexandria county held in thi:
city last week, called for the purpose o
considering plans for the improvement
of the public roads OF our county, | was
chosen a member of committee which
was charged with the duty of reporting
to an adjourned meeting such sugges
tions or recommendations relating tt
the Improvement OF our county road:
as this committee or any member OF II
thought fit to submit. After confer
ring informally with one of my associ
ates on the committee | considered my
self authorized TO report and recon-
mend certain amendments to our pre-
sent road laws. These amendments
have sought to embody in a bill, copy
of which is inclosed. In the preparation
of this proposed measure of Legislation
was largely aided by the clear and
practical Judgment of Mr.. Frank Hume
and some of its most valuable provi
sons are wholly his work.
Mr.. Hume is, indeed, peculiarly well.
fitted to give sound advice in matters
pertaining to the repair and construc-
lion of our common roads, for it is tc
his discernment and forecast that oul
county now has within its limits three
miles of macadamized roads.
Some little misapprehension he's gone
abroad with regard to the provisions
and the scope of the proposed amenda.
tory act. AS this matter Of improving
our highways-how best to 10 it's one
of profound concern to the citizens Of
our county and is to-day the question
which is uppermost in the minds OF oul
people, | trust you will find space in
the columns Of the GAZETTE for the
text of the proposed measure in order
that it may reach a larger audience
than can be assembled in general meet
inc at the County Courthouse. There
are two points in the bill to which
particularly invite the attention ofthe
GAZETTE.
1st. That all work done on the
county roads except inconsiderable and
urgent repairs, shall be done by con-
tract.
2nd. That there shall be compe-
tent man to direct and supervise this
work; that he shall be responsible fo1
its being we'll done, and that he shall
have the power to require that it shall
be we'll done, and that the work upon
our roads throughout the county shall
conform to a uniform system of repair
and construction.
The feature in Mr.. Phillips's bill to
which | strepuously object is his propo-
sition to require that the person who is
placed in charge of our county roads
shall be civil engineer-none other
need apply. And this civil engineer
must be a graduate meaning by this
that the appointtee must have piece
of vellum coming from anywhere, certi-
fying that he has been duly crammed
with certain or perhaps uncertain
knowledge and has been able to repeat
few lessons in rudimental civil en-
cheering This person, under the pro
vision of Mr.. Phillips's bill need never
have had days practical work of re-
pairing and building roads. My be-
lief is that so shining an individual
would prove very costly official to
the county, and therefore fatty object
to him. ! want man who has actual
ly handled dirt and stone and gravel
and who knows how and where ant
when to best use them in the mainte
nance and construction ofour highways
and | know both from observation ant
experience that a thoroughly capable
civil engineer may be wholly unfit L
be intrusted with the practical detail
of road construction.
| do not know whether we can tint
in our county the man we need but
we cannot we can go elsewhere.
w. II. HATCH.