The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-30

1 any other is the employment of com
 petept- engineer and the appointment of
 suitable commission to handle the | funds.
 | The interest in better highways has keen brought ahoat largely through the | services rendered by automobiles, and | these persons fortunate enough to own
 tie automobiles have become acquainted
 with the rural reisiIbors. Between the
 two classes there has sprung up firend- ship which srows more pronounced as the
 days pass. The widely separated tiller
 of the soil and the owner of upholstered l limousines agree that the issue should l go through and agree as to the engineer
 and the commission.
 A few added opinions gathered yester- day follow:
 | P. Byrne, well known citizen and a.
 member of the State Good Roads asso- ciation, in discussing the $l,0O,00O bond is
 sue, said q am in favor of the bond
 issue to the full extent of the sum
 named, as a less sum would be insuffi-
 cient to make a good start on road
 system for Jefferson county In the ex-
 penditure Of the above large amount of money, care should be taken to see that | it is spent to the best advantage, to get | the full and best value in roads for the money expended. I am familiar with the
 methods of most European countries, also
 the several states of the United States, | which have taken the matter up in practical manner and are now building good roads.
 | "As the location and construction of good roads is strictly an engineering problem, you will find on investigation that in all countries and states which have good roads the said roads were located and
 built under the supervision of competent engineers. In the expenditure of s1,0OO,- O0c we desire to get the full benefit of the
 money. with one dollar in value of road | for each dollar expended. We must | adopt the same methods and system that years of experience has proved to be the only correct method that will provide | good roads and prevent the reckless
 waste of the money expended thereon. "If a commission or board is desired to | take charge of said road construction, | the members of said board should consist | of competent engineers One chief engi- neer, to be the chairman of the commits | sion or board, his chief assistant mak- l ing the second member, with capable and competent lawyer as the third mem | ber. To my idea the above would be sufficient number of members, as the 1 finances could be handled by the regular Board of Revenue, which l think is as competent to handle the funds as an un- trained commission of citizens.
 "The said engineering boaid should at once plan a system of roads, which would mean lines of principal roads passing | through the county. with some definite object of facilitating main lines of road
 by the shortest route from boundary to | boundary, all other roads to be con- structed as feeders thereto. The said
 board should adopt standard specified lions for various grades of roads, the
 main roads being of the highest stand
 ard adopted. all others coming under I lower standard in proportion to their travel and importance.
 | "The most defective part of our road | system at present is the incompetent care taken of the roads after construction, which must be changed and better sys- | tenn adopted If we desire to keep the roads in condition, and prevent the loss
 of a large part of the money expended | in their construction. To accomplish the
 above the roads must remain under the supervision of an engineer, with road con | tractors under bond to keep certain number of miles in repair the contractor subdiv1dng his mileage into smaller suD-
 divisions, placing one man in each small
 CT subdivision wlio has personal super | vision over his section, on which he is
 required to make a daily inspection and such slight repairs IS may be necessary, and to report promptly to the contrac- l ter such large repair necessary which he cannot hondlc.
 "A system as above outlined at first
 sight will appear too expensive for adop-
 ton. in practice it will be found to be as economical as on present want of
 system An engineer is not an expense | on construction work, as he saves more
 thar his compensation in economies or construction. We also pay more in our wasteful methods of repairs on account | Of the incompetent manner of doing them | than 1t would cost by the above sys- tematic method ensu ing good roads. l lave TO hesitation in stating that Ala
 hama mas srent more rAoney< on roads | in the last 50 years than would have been sufficient if properly applied 10 provide | a system of good rcads to cover the
 whole state"
 | w. H. Kettig
 1 sT favor the bond issue of $1,00o000 for hetter roads" said W. H. Kettig, and
 with the light before me at this time
 do not believe any serious opposition will be met. The time Is fast approach ing when all communities must have good
 roadways in order to appeal to every class of people.
 "The spending of $1. .0ootG0 by this coun-. ty would demonstrate 10 the country al large that Jefferson ctunLy was progress ing in this, the t.Sadest of all lines and the valuable return Secured in that way would more than compensate the taxpay- ers for the issue. Another fact is cer- tain: The issue. if 1t carries, should be carefullv expended by a board of men anponted for the purpose whose knowl- edge Is both technical and practical. The srending of that amount of money is no easy task and should only be trusted to a commission properly selected. An engi- neer whose practical knowledge is widely known. and in whom the people have faith. should be member of the commis- sion or employed by them"