The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1915-06-19
BONDS ABSOLUTEL
COMPLETE THE
Without It Pavement Will
Be Inadequate To Carry
Heavy Traffic.
STATE BEHIND IN ROADS
100000 Additional Bonds
Endorsed By Business
Men of the City.

The 100000. which the voters OF
Fairmont district are asked to author
ize at the special bond issue election
Monday, is absolutely necessary to
properly finish the street and road
improvement work now under way.
without this additional 100000,
brick and asphalt pavements now in
process OF construction must either be
built so narrow in many places as TO
be Inadequate or the foundations must
be skimped to such an extent as. to
make the new highways but tempo
rary niakeshifts, which would have 10
be rebuilt within few years at enor-
NOUS cost, and in the meantime be a
constant source Of expense to keep in
repair.
Such is the opinion Of both county
and city officials in charge OF the road
and street building. The city Board
OF Affairs, the Marion county court
and a. D. Williams, chief road en-
Rineer for the state. all agree that
without the additional 100000 the
work cannot be properly finished and
all endorse the proposed bond issue
without reserve and in the most en-
phatic manner.
The petition asking for the bond
election was gotten up by the Fair
mont Chamber Of. Commerce and the
Officers and members OF this inhuen-
tfal and representative body, which
includes the heaviest taxpayers OF
the Fairmont district, are doing every
thing in their power to secure favor
able vote Monday.
The. West Virginian has conducted
careful investigation to determine
for the benefit OF the voters and tax
payers Of the city and district whether
this additional bond issue is consider
ed really necessary. Everywhere
among men who have studied the sub
ject carefully from the standpoints Of
their various businesses aud profess
sions the opinion is steadily gaining
ground that the road engineers and
others backing the bond issue are
more than justified in their requests
to be allowed to properly finish the
road improvement work under way.
It Is pointed out that no city ever
became an industrial and commercial
center without properly paved streets.
The business section OF no city has
ever extended beyond the paved high
ways out along dirt roads. 1t is in
conceivable to imagine an imposing
office building or big steel mill locat.
ed in a city without paved streets.
Dirt roads belong to the country vii.
lage OF half a hundred homes, and
Fairmont has long ago passed this
stage OF development. Probably the
laying OF the first pavement along
Main street aroused far more opposi-
ton than the present proposed road
bond issue. Yet il that first stretch
of pavement had not been laid along
the muddy country road now the main
street of Fairmont. this city would
stu have been country village.
Records in the postotfice depart.
ment at Washington, D. c.. show that
West Virginia is far behind other
states in the building and maintenance
OF coed roads. This is proven cou.
clusively by hundreds OF applications
sent to thR department for rural pos.
tai routes which have been refused on
the ground that for many months OF
the year a mail carrier would find the
mud so deep as to be impossible.
That the highways Of Marion coun.
ty are no better than in many other
parts Of the state is shown by the re.
ports OF hundreds Of persons who
must struggle through mud half way
to the axles OF their buggies or re-
main shut up in their isolated farm
homes practically all winter. One