The Marietta journal and courier. (Marietta, Ga.) 1909-1918, 1913-03-28
J. A. GARRISON WRITES ON
SUBJECT OF GOOD ROADS

LullOI hdIlcltd JOuIAdl,
Dear Sir:
VIII you allow me space in your
valuable paper giving some of my
ideas on the Public Road question:.
have read the views iIryour paper
0 nthis question by coz Cheney and
also Mr.. Hardeman. AS this question
is of vital interest to the tax payers
Of our County, | think it very impor-
tant that the citizenry of of the
County take good part in this dis
cussiOn and from the best views pre-
sented should adopt along the lines
most suited and available for road
building. Therefore | will present on
ly few of my ideas in this commune
cation on permanent road building.
1t is an evident fact that permanent
and up to date public roads cannot
be made without sufficient funds to
do said work. And it is also reality
that said work must be done by the
conyicts of our changing or either
| free labor. | think that future gem
erations should help build our public
roads, and that doing the work on
that basis would be perfectly legiti-
mate and fair to every citizen of
| the county now and also for the flu
! ture. | am in favor of having an
election for the purpose of getting
| the sentiment of the people on the
question Of issuing bonds for road
/ building purposes only. Said bonds
| to be issued to the amount of three
hundred thousand dollars ($300,00O)
and to be issued at different times
and in such amounts as needed while
the work is progressing, to run or
| become due thirty 600 years from
the date of issue, the interest on said
bonds to be paid annually Also a
sinking fund of ten thousand dol
lars $50, 000.00) or as much as need
ed to be set apart from our annual
taxes to pay off said bonds at their
maturity.
Now to the question of the best
management of labor to build these
roads; | think that our chain gang
with the proper management can do
more work in a given time than
you can get out of hired labor in
building and making permanent or
MacAdamizing roads.
am strictly in favor of economy
i'll disbursing funds set apart for GER
tain purposes. All the management
of prisoners from Supt. down to team
sters and guards should be competent
men for said work. and | presuming
and believing that our county has as
manager of our chain gang one of
the best road men in the State |
have reference to Mr.. Randall and
am in favor of giving liberal wages
to all employees, but when any reduc-
ton of employees can be made with
out endangering the safe keeping of
prisoners or the progress of work.
then | would cut out some of said
| employees.
AS to the distribution of road work
would make one main and perma-
nent road leading West from Marict-
ia to the county line. and also one
leading East from Marietta to Ros-
We'll also one North to the County
line and also one leading South from
Marietta to the county line would
make these roads permanent.
The MacAdam work would have
done after all four of the above
named roads were regarded. widened
etc etc. After the completion of these
main thoroughfares and any funds
on hand from the sale of bonds |
would regrade the roads between the
permanent roads, also while the work
OF making the permanent roads was
progressing by the Chang gang, |
would let out the other roads in each
militia district to the lowest bidder
/ to be worked according to specifica-
lions from the county commissioners
at least once during each year, and
would apply the alternative road tax
and suffiCienCy of our county road
tax to pay for working said roads be-
tween the four main McAdamized
roads to Marietta. We have good ev-
idence near us that other counties
throughout the state are warking
their prisoners successfully on the
public roads and | don't see any rea-
son why Cobb county cannot do the
the same, especially with the funds
for said work obtained by issuing
bonds and with a strict economical
management of all the work to be
paid for out of said funds. | have
been a resident of Roswell district
Cobb county, Ga, for the past SO
years and feel a great interest in
her welfare and future prosperity, |
and l would like to see net work of
| Il