The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-12-19
WORK STOPPED ON
WARRIOR BRIDGE
Government Engineers viii In
Spect Plans
COUNTY ROAD SYSTEM
Present Methods Employed BY Board
of Revenue Said to Be Best and
Most Economical Ever
Employed.
COUNTY ROAD SYSTEM


Tho war department of the United
States has temporarily stopped work on
the construction of the bridge across
Locus fork branch of the Warrior river,
in the southwestern part of the county,
until measurements and specifications
can secured by engineers of the depart
ment.
This precaution has been taken because
of the fact that the Warrior is consid-
cred by the department as navigable and
would prevent any obstruction that would
interfere with its being put in commits
sion as navigable river.
The Jefferson county board of revenue
has just received a letter from the en-
cheering department of the war depart
ment ordering that the work be stopped
until an engineer can be sent to mako
an inspection and report on the dimen-
sions and plans of the bridge.
1t is expected that the government en-
gineer will make the inspection in COM
few weeks, and il the plans are found TO
be satisfactory with the war department
the work will be resumed. It is said by
those familiar with the plans of the
structure that 1t will pass the inspection
of the government official and that work
can be resumed at once. The main span
of the bridge is high enough to admit
of the passage of ordinary river boats
and the abutments are said to be proper
ly placed
Work has just been started on this
bridge, the abutments having just been
completed The structure will cost about
$4,000, and will be one of the best bridges
of the kind in the county
The order of the war department was
discussed in a meeting of the board of
revenue Monday afternoon, and though
the order to discontinue work will cause
slight delay, the members of the board
feel satisfied with the situation. and
especially since the precaution that is
being taken by the government in the
matter is only proof of the earnest in
terest it has in the final development of
the Warrior river.
Work on Roads.
The county board of revenue has done
much work in the way of road building
and repairing during the year that is
just closing. The storms of the early
part of the fall caused a damage of some
thing like $4,000 to the roads and bridges
OF the county and large forces of hands
and teams have been kept busy since
that time in making needed repairs. The
work has not yet been completed. but
the roads are in much better shape than
few weeks ago. Most of the bridges
that were washed away or were damaged
have been rebuilt and repaired
At the last meeting of the board for
the year held Monday afternoon a gen
eral review of the work that had been
accomplished during the year and dur
ing previous years was taken and the
members expressed considerable satsfac-
ton at the results that have been at
tanned diAring the last two years, and
especially during the present year.
1t was the general verdict that the
present system of building and working
the roads of the county is the best and
most economical ever tried by the board.
Under the present system the teams
employed in the work are owned by the
county and all labor is employed by the
day, except the overseers, who are elected
or appointed by the board and serve dur
ing good behavior, or as long as their
services are acceptable.
Labor Is Advanced.
A short time ago the price of day
labor was advanced from s1.25 to $3.50
seers to secure good laborers who stay
with the gangs all the year round. At
the meeting Monday it was decided to
divide the county into eight road dis
tricts with one overseer in each district.
These overseers were placed in direct
charge of the county road supervisor,
who has the power to discharge them at
any time for any dereliction of duty, and
such overseer that has been discharged
has no appeal to the board of revenue.
The supervisors decision in such matters
is to be final,
In discussing the work of the board on
the county roads yesterday Hugh Nc
Geever, a member OF the board, said: AT
the last meeting of the board of revenue
for the year, held yesterday afternoon,
we revised the work of the department
for the past several years and founl
that the present method employed by
the board in building and working roads
Is bringing better results than any sys-
tenn ever used in the county.
I'VE employ labor by the day and with
the small advance in wages given some
time ago we have been able to secure
efficient labor that will stay With us the
year round. We have decided to divide
the county into eight road districts with
an oyerseer in charge of each district and
the county road supervisor is in charge
of the overseers, with power to discharge
them at will for cause.
Repairing Roads.
Every working crew in the county at
present except one is engaged in repair
ing the macadam roads. We have had
considerable repair work to do on the
roads and bridges of the county since
the storms in the early part of the fall
<.ft dc ,,f