Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1908-04-24

building, is exposed In the ditch on the
left.l
example, our area is within 300 square
miles of equaling that of all the other
New England states. Our population
is about so per cent more than that of
the city of Boston and our valuation
about One-tenth that of Massachusetts.
In the matter of valuations | might
say that we have only sixty-three cities
and towns In the state which have a
valuation of $1,OOO,OOO. We have 222
towns with valuation less than $780,
900 each. and three-fourths of all our
towns are less than 100000 in valua-
tion. In many of our towns. especially
the smaller ones. highway taxes alone
run from to 3 cents. so you see when
these towns make appropriations for
good roads they are really struggling
to improve their condition.
We have. however, made start in
the matter of state road building and
are making progress every year. In
/ 1901 state road law was passed
which was general in its application
that is. 1t provided that every town in
the state might have state aid in COM
plying with certain conditions. The
amount which any town could expend
under this original law was only $500
per year. and the maximum state aid
allowed on account of such expendi-
ture was 500. Succeeding legisla lures
raised the amount until at present 5000
is the maximum amount a town may
expend and be reimbursed by the state
for half its expenditure
The first year of the law only twelve
towns took advantage of its provisions,
while last year. the sixth year of it's
operation 800 towns built their state
roads and received state aid. This
year 356 towns are building sections
of state road.
Our law provides that when a town
makes appropriation and declares it's
Intention to build state road the county
commissioners shall designate in that
town the main travelled thoroughfare.
which shall thereafter be known as the
state road, and that said appropriation
shall be expended in improving some
section of this road. Under this pro-
vision for designating state roads
about 2.400 miles of road have already
been laid out.
Up to the close of last year about
S450,000 had been expended by the
towns and the state I'm this reconstruc-
ton work. and nearly 300 miles of
road had been worked upon. The
work consists mainly In cutting down
excessive grades, raising roads in
swamps and low places, Strengthening
crooked roads. taking out sharp curves
and undertaking quagmires.
In general our surfacing material
consists of gravel, but In many cases
only the natural soil is used for this
purpose. especially IL gravel cannot be
obtained within two miles of the loca-
ton of the work. Probably in forty
towns in the state the surfacing mate
rial is crushed stone.
The work up to the present time has
been under the direct supervision of
| the various boards of county commits
siOners. AS the law provides for in
spectlon of the work after 1t is COM
pleted and the commissioners have not
In general insisted on one standard of
work. there have been quite a good
many variations In the completed
roads. but progress is being made each
year, and we are gradually approach
ing something in the line of uniform
| ity. The standard which we ask to
have maintained is for a road twenty
one feet wide which shall have at
least twelve feet of hardened track,
with earth shoulders to make up the
remaining width.
Our general specification is for sur
| facing material to be eight inches thick
] In the center and six inches thick on
the shoulders, to be screened into sizes
and deposited In layers and rolled
wherever possible. We find that such
work where 1t Is carefully and well
done averages In cost from 35 to SO
| cents per lineal foot
4