The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1909-06-19

arst to ascertain what roads would be
most suitable to that partIcula- Sec
ton, and % provide for funds t, ex-
pend in their maintenance a...r com.
pletion.
; Those are vastly important snd the
Nations very small percentage Of i'm
proved roads is due largely to fail
. ure to give consideration to them.
Millions OF money nave been wasted in
building roads which local conditions
made impracticable and out of all cost
proportion to the county's revenue.
There ere exceptions to nil rules,
however, and Pike county, Alabama.
stands as glittering exception to the
usual construction blunder. There the
county officials mad planned to expend
a large sum in the building Of gravel
roads.
w. L. Spoon, United States superIn-
te1deRt OF Road Construction, being
sent to make an inspection OF the
county's road possibilities, learned
that 700 miles Of important routes
needed improvement. He figured that
the cost Of gravel roads would be 3d.
900 a mile-plainly sum greater
than the county could ibe bonded for
Conditions. hswever, were ideal for
sand-clay construction and ne strong
ly urged its adoption. BY legal pro.
giso the county could be bonded for
only 8 10 per centum of the assessed
value Of tho real and personal proper
ty. The plan was decided upon and an
issue of s143,OOO was voted. One hun
dred thousand dollars worth Of tac
bonds were quickly sold, being dlspos-
ed of in $4,000 allotments.
The first allotment brought prem
ium of $625 and the second one OF
sS25. Forty thousand dollars was at
once spent for mules and road,buildtng
machinery and work was started.
With the sum remaining, lis miles
of the finest sand-clay roads in the
South mad been built within two years
from the date Of the bond issue; a
generous sum was still on hand; eight
gangs were at work. and the people
were so pleased that they stood ready
to take up the remaining issue OF s4S,-
900 and expeHd 1t in the same way.
1t Is the belief OF the Director Of the
Office of Public Roads that such facts
Should be impressed upon the people
OF all counties DESTROYS OF extending
and improving their highways before
actual work is under way. When that
has been done, he is warmly in favor
of the raising Of fundsTby issuing couu-
ty bonds with the restrictions which
the Virginia Highway Law imposes,
viz: that all moneys so raised shall
be spent under the watchmi supcrv,.
sion of a State Highway Commissions
er, because otherwise the money may
be wasted.
Many farmers fear bond issue as
they do the visit of the chinch bug or
the Kansas grasshopper, but the beue.
fits they derive from that method Of
raising money for road improvement
are far-reaching and immediate, while
the individual tax on each is so small
that 1t is scarcely noticeable. In real.
ity, borrowing money through the sale
Of road bonds is like buying a house,
n farm, or business on the install.
ment plan. The purchaser receives
the object at once and derives the ben.
efits from 1t while paying for It. AS
the benefits derived from perfected
highways cover long periods Of time,
fairness and equity demand that the
rising generation should bear a Dor.
tion OF the cost that the Increased
citizenship, always attracted to the
locality by system Of good roads.
should also aid in paying for the added
benefits.
Besides that, there is financial Wis
dom in floating county bonds for road
Improvement. In many cases those
bonds sell at a premium, and every.
body interested gains a benefit. la
some Southern States good road bonds
have brought price 50 high that the
premium has wiped out two or three
years interest on the principal. In
Bradley county, Tennessee, but a few.
years ago the supervisors voted a bond
issue OF 10000. Those bonds bore
interest at the rate Of 1--WE per cent.
So enthusiastic were the citizens for
road improvement, and 20 much CON.
fidence did they, have in the locality
In which thsy lived, ma. the premium
was $1,000; the cash saies placlur.
S n the county treasuty $4,000. I
y s. re ti'si IS