Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1912-05-30
to seeing that the roads were built ac-
cOrdIng to specifications.

tions of the commission to the counties
in the matter, and of the duties Of the
supervisors and engineers. Taking MrN
Gillespie's illustration of the suparvi-
sors as contractors, he read from the
specifications for the roads clause en-
powering the engineers to discharge
foremen for cause.
V. L. Sexton spoke along the same
lines, saying that an engineer was su-
perior to the contractor.
S. d. May, the next speaker, made a
prefervid address and was the first to
touch on the real reasons for the cali of
the meeting-the discharge of Sluss by
Wagner, whom he said was created by
the board but who now wanted TO be
above his creators. By Inference he
left the impression that if the question
was not settled in a manner sstisfac-
tory to those whom he represented it
would mean law suit.
J. w. Hicks, of Graham, advised Wig
orously against law suit, saying that
it was easier to get into court than to
get ont, and not to spend the county's
money in this manner, but get together,
bury personal difficulties and build roads.
Mr.. Daniels and Mr.. Wagner each
made statement which, in the main,
agreed that Sluss was discharged by
Wagner for insubordination, in refusing
to change the arrangement of crUsher
under his charge.
]. N. Harman moved that the super
visors, the county engineer, the state
highway commissioner and the attor-
neys meet together and agree on ba-
handling the business of building the
roads
Rev. c. r. Brown moved to amend
the Harman suggestion by excluding all
lawyers but the commonwealth attor-
ney, saying to do otherwise would only
prolong the matter of getting together.
By this time the meeting had become
unruly, and there were cries Of, Let
them all resign, build roads or get cut,
etc, making regular pandemooium of
the meeting, but the amended motion
was finally put to a vote and carried
unanimously. The meeting then ad-
journed by consent without formal mo-
ton.
The result of the meeting of the vari-
ous bodies was given at the beginning
of this article. There was q large
crowd in attendance at the meeting,
and much earnestness on the part of
all participating in it's deliberations was
shown Some of the crowd were commit
ted TO one side or the other Of the men
in the controversy and, of course, so BIZ
ased that their opinions are valueless.
but to get a composite expression of
the opinion of the crowd, the r@presep-
tative of the Republican talked to peo-
pie of all shades of belief in the matter
and we believe the following to be a
fair expression of the general sentiment
of the crowd if it could have found ex-
preston: I'VE represent the voters
and tax payers of the county who voted
by an overwhelming majority a year
ago to build better roads, and believing
that they could be built quicker and
better by means of bond issue, voted
to issue the same. We want the roads
built quickly and economically, and to
this end want personal differences
buried. We believe that road building
is Q silence like the building of railroads
and other public works, and needs the
supervision of an engineer who, by ed
ucatioa, training and experience is com
petent to supervise the work and get
the best results. That one man control
is the best. That experience so far in
this county indicates that roads can be
account. That we want an intelligent
and comprehensive record kept, at the
courthouse, accessible to every tax
payer, showing in detail how, where
and when our money was spent, and the
cost per yard of grading, macadamiz-
ing, with proper charge to each piece
of work of the supervision, deprecia-
tion, interest and other incidental ac-
counts that enter into the ultimate cost
of the roads. And further, that the to-
tel funds for each district be prorated
on the mileage basis in proportion to
the total number OF miles of road called
for under the order Of the court, and
that no more than the just apporticn-
ment of money be spent on the the roada
SO that every road called for will get it's
due proportion of the funds spent for
its Improvement. That what We de
mand is only justice to the tax payers,
and we will be satisfied with nothing
less"
1t is hoped that much good will come
out of the meeting and that no further
delay will be experienced in giving the
county better system of highways
TanneTSYIe News.