The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-02-20
Wednesday Nights Session,

In accordance with the resolution Of
fered yesterday by Mr. Daughtridgc, and
adopted by the House, Prof. J. A.
Holmes, of Chapel Hill, the State Geolo-
gst, addressed the House last night.
The Senators went over to the House
to hear Prof. Holmes. and the Hobbies
and galleries were full.
Speaker Pro Tenn Morton called the
House to order and announced that Prof
Holmes would make an address on Good
Roads in North Carolina and upon the
Importance OF developing the mining re-
sources Of the State.
Prof. Holmes began by saying that re-
Gently in Arkansas he had had the OPP
portunity of saying some very nice things
about North Carolina.
1t was for us to see if our State was
keeping pace with the great onward ad-
vance of the whole country.
The trouble with us was that We had
no settled system Of public improve
ments.
The Geological Survey Department was
doing a great work. 1t had influenced
eight or nine millions of dollars to come
into the State in investments. But some
thing more was needed
About eight years ago Judge Murphy
Instituted a system of public roads, but
for lack of funds it had never been car
riad out, although it promised as fine
results as in some of the European
countries.
The great drawback about any system
Of building roads was the money ques-
ton, the question of taxing the people
for the roads In some cases he would
advise bond issues,
Bond issues were absolutely necessary
to the advancement of any country Rus
STA was perhaps of all the countries of
the world the most progressive and rap
idly advancing And Russia is all the
time borrowing great sums of money ana
making tremendous public improve
ments.
Prof. Holmes cited the case of Ashe-
willie, which city had secured a fine sys-
TEN of roads and streets by issuing bonds.
Other cases were cited 10 show that
countries may actually get rich by Dor
rowing money. 1t enables the county
to grow wealthy by using the roads
while the bonds are being paid for
AS for those portions of the State that
had the deep black mud soil, the only
satisfactory way was to cover it, and
the best material was the crushed stone,
the macadamized road. But that was
very expensive. 1t cost with the great
est economy $1,000 per mile, and it was
very difficult to get the smaller Coun-
ties to levy sufficient tax for such roads.
However. it had been found that it
was the most economical way in the end.
1t was possible, by crushing the stone
less completely, and by using sand here
and there, to construct some such roads
fol- six or seven hundred dollars mile.
So much for the middle and western
counties. In eastern North Carolina the
outlook was much brighter. Good roads
could be made there for $3.50 or $500 But
even there we had shown lack of sys-
tenn No one had been employed whose
business it was to examine into the best
methods employed elsewhere
AS to material, it had been found that
the ordinary field stones could be used
for the bottom layer, and made just as
good a road by putting a layer of hard
stone on top of the softer stones.
AS for labor, North Carolina had the
best system of convict labor on the roads
of any State in the Union. Even in the
great and wealthy State of New York
convicts were marched about for eXer-
else while the State paid large sums for
working the roads
The most feasible system was the one
we had. that of a county that had few
convicts borrowing from others that had
more, and so on. This system was be-
ing rapidly copied all over the country.
He wanted to lay before the judiciary
Committee whether it would not be pos
sible for prisoners not yet convicted to
be employed on the public roads. 1t
could be arranged to pay these who
should be acquitted upon trial, and to
credit those who were sentenced to terms
on the roads with the length of time
they had worked OF course, such work
would be voluntary. If this plan had
been adopted in North Carolina 500 men
would have been working the public
roads that We're idle.
Speaking of the forests, he believed
that a policy should be adopted whereby
ONLY the rnatured trees should be cut
down. and the young trees left for flu
ture generations. Moreover, the public
lands should not be sold, but should be
held by the State, and the timber sold
for the benefit of the public schools
These lands ought even to be developed.
The oyster interests in the East were
touched upon, and Prof. Holmes said that
experiments were being made 10 see
whether or not oysters could be grown
upon the four ffths Of our saltwater
sounds where there were now no oysters
at all.
AS to agriculture. we needed some set
tied system there. too.
The Appalachian Forest reserve he
looked upon as one of the most ire
mendcus questions that was now before
us. It would mean the spending OF
something like s12,oOOCOO in that wes'
tern country. We ought to get together
on these great propositions like the
Northern and Western people have done.
By their renresentatives in CONGRESS an