The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-10-08
CAN'T ATTEND TO THEM
SHOWS IGNORANCE OF HOW TO
BUILD ROADS,
TIE WORK He Dofs MAKtS THfM WORSE
During his Administration he he's Built Only !
Short Piece Of Poad, and that Was for
Commissioner Chambee at
Great Fxpens J.

Politically G. Il. Ray, superintendent of
the county Work House and road SUI
pervisor Of Raleigh township, counts for
little. Personally he counts for less.
But as political milestone around the
neck of the Fusion commissioners he is
Il bowling success.
His absolutely incompetent and thor
oughly obnoxious management of the
Work House and County Home have be-
come public scandal and political dis
grace. 1t is, however, as road superin-
tendent that he has proved the most
signal failure
Raleigh township owns one of the
finest road plants in the State. 1t con-
sists of steam roller, Il rock-crusher
one fifteen-horse power engine, several
fine teams, dump wagons, carts and
every other implement necessary for per-
manent road Improvement. These we're
turned over to G. =. Ray last February,
but the crusher has not made 4 revolt
tiop. the roller has not been used, and
no necessary repairs have been made
on the roads already built since his
administration, and Of course all are SO
ing to rack.
The work Of the hands has been for
the last six months on Millburnic road,
and Il good part of it outside the road
district. regardless of urgent cries for re-
lief on other roads over which there Is
much more travel
The little work that has been done
ON the macadamiZcd roads has been an
injury instead of benefit. For instance,
this beautiful and accomplished super
visor has been cleaning out the drains
filled with red mud from the banks and
throwing it over the roads This holds
the water, loosens the rock and makes
an intolerahle muck, running the road
bed and interfering with travel to such
an extent as TO cause our farmers to
30 to other markets. He has done this
instead OF hauling crushed rock or gravel
teltner is Accessibility, and making a pea-
manent and smooth top-dressing that
would render the roads easy-golng aud
Il pleasure TO the travelling public IN the
worst of weather.
TAKE for example the rock quarry and
Holleman roads Adjacent to each is
a quarry Of six acres Of gravel and rocks
Instead of hauling this material on these
roads, Mr.. Ray has top-dressed them
with ccanings from the ditches the very
best material to make impossible reads
in wet weather. 'Hhe teams, though, are
allowed to stand in the stables half the
time, when they should be top-dressing
these roads every day. There is plenty
OF gravel and rock adjacent to every
road iii the road district to make them
the very best thoroughfares.
The steam-roller should not have been
idle day, and the crusher should have
been in constant operation at one point
Al. -. 10. f,fl f.f fI..
roads they have remained still and rs
idle as Fusion politician out Of a job.
The Asylum road, over which there is
more travel than any other, especially
in tonnage, has not had Il days work
done on it. The crusher. though is near
by. surrounded by rock prepared for
crushing to give this road top dressing;
but it has not been touched.
One might go over the district from
road to road, always with The same re
suits.
The eighth TO quarter Of q mile of road
built for Commissioner Chamblee has
cost the road district and the county
several thousand dollars. And it only
aids one-ffteenth of the travel to our
market. This, too, in utter disregard of
the demands and petitions of the tax
payers on other roads.
Perhaps no one should complain.
superintendent Supervisor Ray has no
time to look after the road business,
judging from his daily visits and all-day
stay in the city. One cannont be expect
ed to neglect politics for the business of
the public office he holds. And for
this reason any comparison of Mr.. Rays
management with that of Mr.. McAIack-
IN, the former supervisor, would be unfair
to both. Mr.. McMackin, il Democrat,
built the roads and no doubt Ray. Flu
sionist thinks it his patriotic and par
| tisan duty to destroy them. Certainly
| that is the policy he is pursuing.