The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-07-27
County Bonds For Roads

Logan Waller Page, director Of the
office of public roads Of the United
States Department of Agriculture. has
appeared before state legislatures and
county boards in various sections of
the country during the past few
months in response to invitations to
tell what methods are best for obtain
ang funds for road construction and
how the roads should be maintained
after they have once bees secured.
At the present time there are two
principal methods of raising funds for
these purposes, but Director Page be-
lieves that before plans are set on
foot for raising funds, much should be
said regarding the ann in which
such funds should be expended. If
the voters Of a county show a read
mess to spend a generous sum in i'm
proving their roads. it is of para
mount importance to them to. first
ascertain what class of roads should
be constructed.
A county which shows sufficient
progress to bond itself in a liberal
amount for the III Of securing
improved roads should keep it's money
intact until its officers have learned
exactly what class Of roads will best
meet it's requirements; what type Of
road it is best qualified to construct
and what is can best afford.
When county officers earn to APP
p~rcciate the fact that road building
is an art, they will rely more and more
upon expert advice and scientific de-
monstration, and when they have
learned what class of roads is desir-
able they will construct them and
then guard them.
Therein lies one of the most i'm
pOTtant of all American highway ques-
items. Americans build as good roads
a 80 INn c1iSh ~, on on INrnoohroop hut
having done so, they rest contented
with their efforts and let each passing
automobile Or drenching rain blow or
wash the road surface away.
N the countries of Europe, where
the well-nigh perfect roads are the
bride Of the citizens and the envy and
HfmlratiOn Of visiting Americans, most
FalouSly care is constantly given; a
careful day-by-day inspection is made
and every depression is quickly filled
sra all inequalities rolled ortamped.
Millions of money have been wasted
- building roads which local condi-
tons made impracticable and out of
FL cost proportion to the county's
revenue.
There are exceptions to all rules,
however, and Pike county, Alabama,
stands as a glittering exception to the
usual construction blunder There the
county officials had planned to ex-
pend a large sum in the building Of
gravel roads.
w. l.. Spoon, United States superin-
tendent of rOad construction, being
sent to make an inspection of the
~COunty's roa possibilities, learned that
700 miles of important routes needed
Improvement. He figured that the
cost of gravel DAD would be $4,000
amile-plainly a sum greater thar
the county could be bonded for. Con-
ditions, however, were ideal for sand
clay construction, and he strongly
urged it's adoption. By a legal pro-
visO the county could be bonded for
only 3h per cent. of the assessed
value of the real and personal prop
erty. The plan was decided upon an
issue Of $4,000 was voted. One
hundred thousand dollars worth of
bonds were quickly sold, being dis
posed Of in $4,000 allotments.
The first allotment brought a pre-
MUM of 1925 and the second one
SS25. Forty thousand dollars was at
once spent for mules and road build
ing machinery, and work was started.
With the sum remaining 118 miles
of the finest sand-clay roads in the
South had been built within two year
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