The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-05-11
CIebuYne COHnty A70nsed
 By Good Roads Wobement
Prominent Citizens Interviewed On Needs of County and Best Means of Securing Improved Highways-Fruit- hurst Commercial Club Takes Up
 Important Subject
BY F. A. cAnvER.

permanent or widespread results. and that through the influence of The Age-Herald and newspapers of like opinions we may hope for the awakening of such a sentl- ment and the resulting legislation neees- sary to secure the desred object"
 r. R. Carson. Mayor of the City Of Fraithurst. says:
 q am certainly in sympathy with tho good roads movement, and am glad to say or do anything l can to help along the cause. In order to have better roads l believe special tax must be levied and collected for road purposes. to be used exclusively in the district, precinct or beat in which collected. The leglsla- tive act of 1903, TO provide for the con- struction and maintenance of good pulp lie roads, etc, should be adopted by the county commissioners or boards of rev. enue except when better local laws arc applicable. The old system of working the roads by pick and shovel could then be abolished, and road machinery sub stituted. I believe that a road district should be composed of a small territory, at least to begin with the maln advan- tage being to allow certain communities that are favorable to tax proposition to tax themselves. and so demonstrate in a practical way the advantage of such a system. Under such system the property owners in townG and cities, who under present laws are exempt, would have to help maintain the roads in such district. The use of convicts might be advantageous in some sections, but hard ly so in the smaller counties of the state.''
 = Judge A. E. Carruth, judge of probate of Cleburne county, and chairman of the board of county commissioners, writes your correspondent as follows on road Improvements:
 Hefin, May 4, 190S Mir. F. A. Carver. F'ruithurst. Ala.
 Dear Sir:-I beg to acknowledge your kind favor of the 18th ult also yours of even date. In regard to the public highways l am thoroughly convinced that the present system of working the roads in this county, that is to work out the hands that are subject to road duty, is failure so far as keeping good roads is concerned I believe the proper meth cd is to levy a small tax on all prop erty, both real and personal, and in ad- dition. require all persons between the ages of ,21 and 30 to pay a reasonable amount, say 30 or S6 per annum in sup port of the road fund.
 Then the county should first employ competent civil engineer to lay out and generally supervise the work, and that all toools, material and labor should be paid for by the county and that com potent men should be employed as over seers. I would further favor working all misdemeanor convicts on the public roads for two reasons; first, because I believe the county would realize more from their labor in that way than to lease them to large corporations, and the convict would receive more humane treat ment with less danger to health and believe the moral effee. would be bet ter than to work them in the mines
 You are at liberty to quote any or all of the above letter that you wish to- Yours very truly. A. E. CARRUTH,
 Judge of Probate.