The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1908-02-01
Six Miles of Macadam VIII Be
Built According to Some
Sort of System
MlLNER WILL MAKE ROADS
THE FINEST IN THE SOUTH
Attempt Will Be Made To Have New
Highways Serve as Models For
Future RoadbuiIding
In County.

The Board of Revenue is up and do
Ing It is said to their credit that
they are going about matters. Within
the past week things have been moving.
They began a few days ago by ad-
vertising for bids for ten-ton roller.
something which has been needed in JEFF
ferson county for ever so long
They have decided to do the best they
can with the complicated and invaluable
laws which they have. With the terri
BILE destruction of two months of rain and
havoc under which no road could stand
up, staring them in the face they are
going about the work of retaining them
with the force at hand in the best man.
ner practical. The roads are too bad to
begin the system suggested by Mr.. Ram
say, although several members of the
board have expressed themselves as con-
sidering it a good thing if applied after
the roads are shaped up.
Taking their road supervisor and his
bunch of overseers in a firm grip. they
have ordered that detailed report be
made to them monthly of every foot of
work DONE
Greatest of all, they are preparing to
build a half dozen miles of maeadam
road where 1t is most needed in the coun-
ty. First, the contract for cherting was
let yesterday to D. w. Handy and D.
s. Mclean for the Irondale road, that
stretch of mud so famous in the annals
of history! The cost will be 81 10 per
cubic yard
Next, they have advertised for BIZ
m tba Tnlo
to Mulgay. Still better. the Blue Creek
road is to be overhauled and put into fine
condition Immediately. These are but a
beginning of the work which is proposed.
Who might be supposed will do this
work? Do they intrust 1t to the road
supervisor, that official who was elected
by the people of Jefferson county? No,
on no, emphatically. mo-
That official continues to draw his
salary, as well as his oyerseerrs', but
when the times comes to build roads in
their districts it is let out by contract,
and this time, the board has hired County
Surveyor Miner to look after the work.
Only once before has Mr.. Miner super
vised the building of a bit of road, al
though the board has built six miles, Mr.
biiiiicI mas, HOMtNtI, SUPERVISED, anu IL
responsible for the fine bridges which
have been built recently. He will let a
contract for nine steel bridges with con-
crete abutments in short time
Mr.. Miner has drawn up specifications
for the new roads, something heretofore
unknown in the county. He has required
a good bond with security company
from the contractors. He promises that
the roads built under his care will be
among the best in the south. By thus
employing a competent engineer to care
for the road construction, probably the
Board of Revenue can get along until the
legislature fixes things so the board can
choose its own supervisor, and pay him
enough salary to insure his being a
competent road engineer with authority
to employ the necessary assistants.
OF course, there may be 20 so-called
engineers who would be willing to get
into politics for $125 job, but man
with any experience could not be thrown
into it.