The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-01-25


 lately after working the same. and were left in that condition for one year, until their turn came to be worked again. A condition as above described has no right to be called a road system, 1t should Se designated an unsystem or method of not doing things. yet the county of Jefferson spends about $S00O0 under the above de- scribed so called system of road working
 Tt is impossible to locate A road as it should be located, in any other man ner than by the survey of a competent engineer. I mean one who has had practice and experience in that class ing that I have failed to find one com plete mile of road in Jefferson coun- ty, that has been located to the best advantage, properly ditched and drained, or constructed in the best man ner to preserve its durability. In the eastern, middle and western states they long ago ascertained the. fact that to have good roads 1t is necessary to have the same located by competent engineers, and to keep them in re- pair or condition for travel, 1t was as necessary after construction to keep them in charge of engineers. In the eastern states, most of the states have state road engineer, and each county is provided with it's county engineer. Is it not unprogressive and behind the present times. that the great county of Jefferson, with it's population of 200,- 900 people, it's 1900 miles of public roads, and paying so much of the state taxes. will yet continue to locate, build and supervise the repairs of her public roads by methods handled down to us from years ago. when the meaning of the word engineer was almost un- known? Private individuals and cor porations have long ago learned that 1t pays and saves them money on a small job of work to employ an en- gineer, that the engineer will save his compensation several times over, and the work will be better done under the supervision of an engineer, with a large saving in the cost of construction.
 Outlined Correct System.
 Tn regard to the method of keeping the roads In repair when built, MT. Ramsay outlined the correct system, namely, to keep a man on each limited portion of the road, snd to hold him personally responsible for the same. The above method would require some better system of supervision than the one suggested, a visit once in two months by a supervisor I have trav- eled over miles of the good roads that MT. Ramsay describes as seeing in England. I have seen miles of the country roads kept in as good condi- tion as We keep our frst-class streets in the residence parts of city, some of the said roads having paved gutters, in places where the grade would have tendency to create a wash or cut out, nearly all having a good gravelled sidewalk on at least one side of the road: the sidewalk extending the full distance from one town to the next It will be many years before we can ex- pect to attain the above deschibed con- ditions in county roads.
 q am probably more familiar with the method of working said roads than
  it as follows: The counties of England are divided into districts as here, long time contracts are made for the repair of the roads in each district. the con tractor being required to give a good and ample bond to keep the roads at any and all times in as good condition as they were delivered to him, and at the expiration of his contract to turn the roads over to the county in tho same condition. It Is the contractor that divides up his forces as MT. Ram say describes the said contractor gives each of his men a small portion of the road to work. each man giving his whole time to the portion so allotted and is held personally responsible for the condition of the same. The man having a section in charge works his whole time on that section keeping the ditches and drains in order, and making the necessary repairs on the road as soon as the defect appears. The man so working is not left for two months without supervision. The con- tractor may drive over his portion of the road each day, and in no case fails to visit the workman once or twice each week. It is needless to state that all work done on the roads is done under the supervision and direction of the county or borough engineer.
 Preliminary Work To Be Done.
 "The above described system could not at present be adopted in Jefferson county, on account of the deplorable and wrecked condition of the roads. To adopt the system described, it would first be necessary to resurface the roads, make all necessary ditches and drains and bring the road up in every particular to the condition in which it was desired to be kept. The road would then be in a condition for letting by contract as above. All work should be done by contract, as experience has demonstrated beyond a doubt that a contractor can perform better and oh eaper work than the same work can contractors business; he has special training and the equipment for doing the work; his experience enables him to stop the leaks and he gets more paid To bring the worn-out Jefferson county roads up to heir proper stand ard, careful survey should be made by competent engineer, the work