The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1911-06-09
aimed through the patrol system.

The states of Delaware, Georgia, !
North Carolina, Virginia,
Louisiana and Alabama have enacted |
laws whereby the states participate in |
work. Some of these states, |
however, have not carried their re-
forms sufficiently far.
North Carolina makes no appro- |
piation from the state treasury for
aid in construction work, but appro-
PIRATES $4,000 each year to be expend-
ed under the state geologist.
Georgia has increased it's mileage
Of improved roads during this period
from 2.S5 to 7.26 per cent. This has
been done largely through the work
ing of convicts upon it's roads.
Virginia works its state and coun-
ty prisoners on its roads, and in addi-
ton makes an appropriation of $780,
900 each year for apportionment
among the various counties.
Maryland has also established a
state roads commission for the pur-
pose of giving advice and assistance
and of supervising the construction of
all state aid and trunk line roads for
which the state makes appropriations.
During 1910 the Louisiana legisla-
ture passed an act creating a state
highway commission, and providing
for the appointment of a state high
way engineer, and appropriating mon
ey to aid the parishes (counties) in
the improvement of their roads. This
law also provides for the use of state
prisoners in road building. For this
purpose, a tax of one-fourth of mill
on each dollar of taxable property in
the state is levied
THE Legislature Of Alabama at its
recent session enacted a law creating
a state highway commission, providing
for the appointment of state highway
engineer, and applying $154,O0O an
nually from the net proceeds Of the
convict labor fund to the state high
way fund
Late Reforms. :.
These reforms have all been
brought about since 1904, and, as an
evidence of their wisdom and eff
ficiency, during the short period clap
sing up to 1909 inclusive, $4,000 add
tional miles of road were improved
making a total of improved mileage
at that time of 42,2SO, or 667 per cent
of all the roads in the South.
Another potent result of these re
forms, and one which gives promise Of
greater progress in the future, is the
interest and enthusiasm which ha:
been aroused in the subject of road i'm
: provement in the South. That thi!
enthusiasm is of a substantial charac
ter is evidenced by the fact that more
l funds have been raised by taxation
l and bond issues for expenditure dur
5 ing 1911 than ever before.
! ut is further shown that the Soutl
= is keeping pace with other sections o
9 the country in the matter of roads in
e provement by the fact that PRACTICAL
g expenditure on roads during 1911 ar
II available in the sixteen Souther
|, states, while in 1904 the other state
of the Union expended practically fou
times as much as was expended in tn
South.
Conditions in the South requir
n road improvement more urgently tina
F. in any other section of the countr
for the reason that the roads are SUI
ject to more continuous and heay
traffic during the winter months, ar
as they are nearly always wet at tn
season, they cut up very badly ar
become almost impossible.
ITO offset this disadvantage, ho'
ever, the roads of the South can
improved more cheaply than those
the North. In the South labor
cheaper, and convict labor can be ut
lied and the road building season
longer.
ITO illustrate how much more Chez
ly the South can improve its roa
than other sections of the COUNT
sand-clay roads are built in Georgia
an average cost of 1887 per mile, a
the average cost of sand-clay for fl
states from which the information
available, is $572. Gravel roads a
built as cheaply as $3.50 in Alaban
and the average cost of gravel roa
u for eight states from which the inf
= nation is available is $1,725. t
cost of macadam roads in the Sou
ranges from $1,000 per mile in Loui
ana to 1850 in Maryland. and t
average for nine states, includi
MARYLAND. is S3.S26 As a contrast