The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-15
Highway Engineer Keller
Submits Report to the
State Commission
CONTRACTS FOR THE
QUARTER ARE $99, 500
Engineer Also Commends Papers for
Publicity Given the Recent In
spection Trip Made Over
the State

M Montgomery, July l4.-(Spec1al)-
Contracts for state aid work in the inn
provement of roads TO the amount of
s99.50O were let during the quarter
which ended June 80, according to the
report of state Highway Engineer w
S. Keller, which was submitted today
to the member of the highway commits
sion, in quarterly session at the capitol.
During that quarter IA contracts were
let for road work in a number of coun
ties of the state. The largest of these
contracts were for work in Lawrence
and Butler counties, the former county
being engaged in work in road i'm
provement to the amount of s11, 500 and
the latter county to the amount of S10,-
OOO
Engineer Keller declared in his re-
port that the contracts let during the
month of June eclipsed any other month
since the highway department was
created, the amount of contracts let
during that month being s99,5OO.
Reports on Recent Trip
The highway engineer Incorporated
in his report an account of his trip
through Alabama for the purpose of
collecting information to aid him in
recommending what would be feasible
system of state trunk roads.
In commenting upon his trip over the
state, Engineer Keller called attention
to the fact that a representative of the
Age Herald had accompanied
the touring party through north Alabama.
and that a correspondent for the Mont
gomery Advertiser had accompanied the
party through south Alabama, declaring
that these papers are to be commended
for the public spirit they have shown
by sending these representatives with the
party" and stating that that feature of
the trip awakened many localities 10 the
necessity of improving their highways.
He concluded his report with a list of
the counties which had taken state aid
work during the past quarter All of the
of the highway commission were
at the quarterly session. The
members of the commission are: Robert
E. Spragins of Huntsville Capt John
Craft of Mobile, Maj. V. B. Atkins of
Selma Dr. Eugene A. Smith of Tusca-
oosa and Prof. G. n. Mitcham of Auburn.
Text of Report
The report of State Engineer Keller to
The highway commission is as follows:
State Highway Commission, Montgom-
cry, Ala.
"Gentlemen-I desire to submit this,
my quarterly report for the quarter
ending June 80, 1913.
ssDurino tbie cuarfar Ia rop amO1int
Of good work has been done in the
various counties using state aid in
the improvement of roads and the
month of June has eclipsed any other
month in so far as number and amount
OF contracts is concerned. During this
month contracts were let to the amount
of $4,000. The total number of COLI
tracts let for the entire quarter is a.
total amount s99,500
Complying with your instructions,
| hired an automobile and driver and
on June 8. with Commissioner Craft
and Mr.. Paul Stevenson of the Mont
go1nery Advertiser, began a tour of the
state to gather all information possi-
BILE to aid me in recommending to you
what would be a feasible system of
state trunk roads. Mr.. Stevenson ac-
companied the party on the southern
pert of the tour and Mr.. l.. S. Betty of
f. AgeHerald on the northern part.
gentlemen published in their re-
fle ners daily accounts of the trip.
tena us 7pecially on the condition Of
iii fa4es se found them. This fea-
sae 81 fha flGs mas awakened many 10
rblirs % tie 1eressity of Improvement
rto hHa 4ys ard already steps have
saa several counties to improy e
es u eoads we found almost impass-
FNlf t'ntse papers are to be commended
ida se sublic spirit they have shown by
auciu8 these representatives with the
raaif There Is d hearty growing senti-
"a at for better roads all ove- the state
~ the OUTLOOK for a network of good
leads in Alaoama in the very near future
vas never so bright. In many sections
roads that we're very bad two years ago
are now in splendid condition As your
report to the legislature cannot be made
for IS months yet, | think it would he
wise to again have these roads inspected
curing the summer of 1914 ard give as
much publicity to ii months in advance
as possible, as an Incentive to the various
counties to improve their roads. The total
number of miles travelled on this trip is
1912 miles
II submit herewith for your considera-
uon the following contracts, which have
peen let subject 10 your spproval:
Marshall, Alabama Construction COM
pany, $4,000; Lee, W. H. Wynn, $4,000
Marion, A r. Bearden, s40o0; Franklin
J. w. Lawler & Co., $4,000; Coosa, w. A.
warner. $1,000; st. Clair, L. A. Brad
ford. $4,000; Blount, Pierson & Under
wood, $4,000; Lowndes. J. G. Brown,
$4,000; Lawrence, Bearden & Spake,
$ll,50O Marengo, Alabama Construc-
ton company, $1,000; Butler, Brown &
Rawlinson, $4,000: Calhoun. Goodrich
Crln<ley, $4,000; Shelby. A. II. Newell
4 Bros. c. company, $4,000; Pickens,
r. c. Searcy, $4,000; Total $79,500.
FINAL estimates have been given IN
the following counties: Coffee, Frank
lin, Talladega Lamar, Shelby, Pickens,
Jeiferson. Chiffon.
Work completed with county forces
IN the following counties: Houston,
RUSSELL Walker Lauderdale, Geneva.
In addition to work let by contracts,
the Following counties have taken state
aid and are using their county forces
81 Clair, $4,000; DeKalb, $4,000; Walker,
sfooo; Madison. $4,000; Colbert. $4,000;
total $4,000.