The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1909-05-06
Good Roads Legislation.
(JoSeOh HYDE Pratt.)

One of the acts Of general ma
ture that was passed by the General
Assembly Of 1909, relates to good
roads and should be the means of
greatly promoting and stimulating
the construction of improved roads
in North Carolina. This act carries
with it an appropriation Of S. 5000,
and, as stated in the act, "the object
and purpose of this appropriation
shall be to enable the North Carroll
ma Geological Board to advise with
the township and county authorities
in building and Improvement of the
public roads, by sending to the town
ship or county competent road en-
gineer, who will assist them in To-
eating their improved roads, advise
them as to the best road to build and
how to build it, and also give advice
relating to the best kind of bridge
to be built in connection with the
improvement of any road. The Geo
logical Board, through the State
Geologist, may make inquiries in re-
gard to systems Of road building and
management throughout the United
States and make Investigations and
experiments in regard to the best
methods Of road-making and the
best kinds of road material and shall
disseminate such knowledge by lee
lures to be given in the different
counties, and by preparing, publish
ing and distributing bulletins and
reports on the subject Of road i'm
provement, and shall also gather and
tabulate information and statistics
on road building in North Carolina
and disseminate the same through
out the State.''
AS will be seen from the above,
it is now possible for the Geological
Survey to hire engineers who are
competent road builders and take up
with the various counties and town
ships who are contemplating the con-
struction Of improved roads, where
to locate their roads, what is the
best road to build, giving considera-
ton to location, and how to build it.
On account of the small appropria-
ton, it will not always be possible
for the Geological Survey to send an
engineer into a county or township
as soon as the request for such as
sistance is received, but these re-
quests or petitions for engineering
assistance will be filed as received
and the engineer sent to them in the
order Of the receipt Of their petition.
Besides the engineering service that
the Geological Survey can give to the
counties, the State Geologist or one
of the engineers expects to give one
or more addresses or lectures in
each county during the next twelve
months. While there has been no
special arrangement made regarding
these lectures, any county making
special requests for such lectures to
be given, will receive first consider
alton.
Arrangements have been made
to employ Mr.. W. L. Spoon as Road
Engineer for the Geological Survey
and he will enter upon his duties
about May 1st. Mr.. Spoons home
is in Alamance County, and he is a
graduate of the University of North
Carolina. He has been devoting him
self to the study and construction Of
good roads for fifteen years and
during the past seven years has been
Road Engineer for the Office of Pub
lie Roads Of the United States De-
partment of Agriculture. He is con-
sidered by the Office Of Public Roads
as one of the best road engineers in
this country and for some features
of road engineering he has no equal.
The State Survey is very fortunate
in being able to obtain his services
inasmuch as he is also thoroughly ac-
quainted with North Carolina, it's
very varied geological and topo-
graphical conditions and also knows
how to build not only macadam, but
also sand-clay and gravel roads. His
work for the United States Office Of
Public Roads has carried him into
many States of the Union and he has
had the supervision Of the actual
construction Of many miles Of maca-
dam, sand-clay, and gravel roads.
His experience in the grading and
drainage of roads is also very wide.
Thus he becomes thoroughly equip
ped to take up the various phases of
the engineering work which he will
be called upon to do in the different
counties of North Carolina.
That this work Of the Geological
Survey will be in demand through
out the State is already evidenced by
the number OF requests that have
been received for engineering assis-
tance and for lectures and addresses