The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1897-06-12
REENYILLE WASHINGTON COUNTY, MISS SATURDAY, JUNE l2 1897
ROADS,.

Americ" is new country, aud an
enormously large one, Her develop
mont In almost every respect has beer
phenomenal, but there is yet one
branch in which she is far behind
other countries which have had the
advantage of mSny years of Rradua
improvement aud conquest OF na!ura
obstacles. This Ia in the matter ol
roads aud in the movement fol
their improvement the whole country
Is more active at the preseut time
than at any previous period OF III
history. Almost every state in th,
Union has 4 road law, many of them
recently passed, which will, in few
years, give systems OF highways which
will conduce almost aS much to pros
perity as railways themselves. Mis-.
sissippi, until recently, has been be.
hind many of the more wealthy and
populous states OF the Union in this
respect, but the recent road law pro.
vidss for this important branch of
public welfare in way which, il
carried out, will do more fer tho de-
velopment Of tho state and the In
creased value OF itG property than al
most any other legislation could do
Tho law provides that the roads OF
each county shall be classified by the
Board of Supervisors, all main thor
onghfares leading TO markets TO be
roads of the first class, and others of
the second and a suitable and COM
peteut person shall be appointed road
commissioner, to have charge of them,
The road commissioner shall supNrin-
tend the building OF all necessary
bridges and list the laborerE subject
to duty on the different roads. He
shall be the conserVator Of all tools
and machines necessary for work
ing tho road, and shall have power
to make requisition upon the Board
for such utensils IS may be nee
essary. All oyerseers in charge of
specified links OF road shall be under
the direction OF the COmmissioner,
and shall work bis labor, teams and
tools as be may order. aud he khall
require such ovsrsesrs TO work their
respective links during The months OF
July and August next after the pas
sage of this act, aud thereafter dur
ing the months of January and Feb
ruary or July aud August. AT the
completion of the work assigned for
one year the Commissioner shall
make written report to the Board
OF Supervisors, with tho condition of
all roads aud bridges; when the Board
may determine whether they will
complete unfinished work Oh first
class roads by contract, labor OF con-
vlcts, or hired labor, 90 provided by
the Code, with power to provide
necessary funds by taxation. The
law provides thA. all roads of the first
class shall be not less than 16 nor
over 40 feet, between bitches, aud
provides speclfcs lIy for gr'ding,
dltchlpg, aud proper building There
has never been time in Iho history
OF this county when lite public roads
were in greater need OF attention
than at present, or when public de-
mand for their improvement was
greater. Not only is this the ueed OF
planters and farmers, but even III
greater degree OF The merchants oi
the city OF Greenville. During the
past three or four years of immunity
from overflow and constant improve
ment iu the road ways the business
done by The city With the surrounding
country steadily increased until il
mad become moro than hal.-pcsSi-
bly three fourths of the whole volume
of its trade aud money expended ID
restoring them would bear rate oil
interest which would more than COM
pensatc for tho expenditure in a very
short time, both by pouring an I'M
menss volume of business into the
CITY Of GreOnvills, and by greatly Gu
h.rcinS the value Of evcry portion OF
the county affected.
DO UoU UOHt q .JUo O7-