The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-12-22
SUBURBAN MAYORS
TALK ABOUT ROADS
Say Their ThoroughfareS Are
Reasonably Well Kept
WANT TO TRY CoNVlCTS
Many of These Roads Inside Corporate
Limits Not Well Kept on Ac-
count of So Many other
Heavy Expenses.

cities do not deny the statement made
by Mr. McGeever of the board Of rev
enue that the roads are bad inside their
corporate limits. they do not admit that
they are in worse condition than other
section of the road system in jefferson
county.
Since the question of working county
conviets on the public roads has arisen
some interesting facts concerning the
highways have developed. and from
statements made by members of the
board of revenue it would appear that
the board is not altogether responsible
for the generally admitted had condition
of these old thoroughfares.
Mr.. McGeever, who is taking an active
interest in the matter of working con-
victs, asserts that the roads leading
through the incorporated towns are bad
ly in need of repair, and that the board
is blamed for this condition when it
really has nothing to do with it ad has
no lawful right to touch a road lying in
side of those municipalities. Neither has
1t the right to repair the roads inside the
city limits of Birmingham.
This statement on the part of Mr.. Nc
Geever has called forth some lively COM
ment from the mayors of the various
suburban towns, and while they do not
say that he Is wrong, they do not adj
init that ne altogether right.
Mayor BurrIs of WoodIawn.
Il think you will find the roads in our
little city in pretty good condition"
said John S. Burris. mayor of Woodlawn,
"Of course you probably know that we
have been spending an immense amount
of money here on the building of side
walks, cutters and new streets and nat
urally some of the road work has not
been attended to as well as it might have
been. Still We have almost rebuilt one of
the streets leading through our city and
have spent about $500 or $500 on the 9TH
err If you will take a trip through
Woodawn you will find the thorough
fares in very good shape One of our
main streets is kept up by the Blrming
ham Railway, Light and Power company
as two street car tracks run along the
middle of the street. This Is as pretty a
road as you will find almost anywhere
ing eonvicts on the public roads," con-
tinued Mr.. Burris. THE cost of guarding
and clothing these men really comes to
more than their work would warrant. In
Woodlawn we tried the experiment of
working city prisoners on the streets but
the plan has not been successful. Still
the board of revenue might try ii on
the short term convcts and see what they
can do with 1t. In my opinion the board
should get the very best possible con-
tract for the hire of convicts ard ar
spent on the roads"
Mayor Norwood of West End.
Mayor Sid Norwood of West End said:
"Our roads in West End are not so bad
after all, but of course we would like
to have them repaired occasionally at
least. The county road leading through
Elyton is not in much better shape than
ours, and l understand II is the duty of
the board of revenue or the road super
visor to work that. AS l understand it.
Mr.. McGeever Is right when he says that
1t is the duty of each municipality to keep
up it's own roads. but l would like for
some law to be passed by which the
county could help us out. West End is
rapidly growing city, and we have been
devoting our time and money to building
up a school system first OF all. We now
have fine schools and intend to keep on
improving them. You know that costs
considerable money. The next thing we
intend doing is putting in a good sewer
a. hay oil
things we will begin to put the streets
in the best possible shape. BY looking
after these other matters and spending
most of our money that way the roads
naturally, to a certain extent, have been
neglected. We have a coming city out
there, and II the rest of the county has
good roads you can count on West End
being right along with them.
II am in favor of working convicts on
the public roads. L would like to See the
matter tested at any rate. Above all else
county needs good roads, and when you
show me a county with well graded and
well cared for roads I will show you a
county that is prosperous"
Mayor Jones of North Birmingham.
T. I. Jones, mayor of North Birming-
ham, said; II believe the position taken
by Mr.. McGeever of the board of revenue
is about correct. / realize that the roads
inside the corporate limits Of North Bir-
mingham are not in as good shape as
they should be. OF course we receive no
help from the county In this respect, and
as our growing city has many other ex-
penses to bear we have been compelled to
somewhat neglect the roads We have
| about $4,000 on hard now, however for
that purpose, and in few months we will
be able to show you some beautiful
roads"
Mayor HudnalI of Pratt City.
Mayor e. J. Hudnan of Pratt City, said:
with the exception Of one or two places
all the roads in Pratt City connecting
with the main thoroughfares of the coun-
ty are in good shape. The city works
from ten to twenty of its convicts on the
roads all the time. These are under the
direction OF a street commissioner and are
kept at work on the streets all the year
around.
"a year or two ago the streets of Pratt
City were macadamized. Since that time
the city has done vast amount of inn
provement on the streets and they are
being constantly repaired and bettered.
There is no immediate danger of the
streets Of our city standing in the way
of progress of good roads in this city