Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1916-10-04
GEORGIA'S HIGHWAYS.

The Sumter county commissioners
have Joined hands with the state and
federal authorities for the new high
way plans. The formal resolution was
adopted at the regular meeting of the
commissioners Monday.
Anent the matter, as it refers to the
state, the Atlanta Journal has the
following editorial:
If Georgia is to profit by the new
system OF federal aid for road build
ing. the individual counties must CO.
operate with the State Highway COM
mission. That, indeed, is the only way
/ by which any county can share in the
rational fund. The law prescribes that
| all communications with reference to
roads to be improved must go first to
the State Highway commission. The
Washington authorities will not con-
slider applications from any other
source. The reason for this require
ment is obvious. 1t would virtually
be impossible for the government to
deal with the thousands of county
boards throughout the country or to
exast from them that full and definite
measure of responsibility which is es-
sential to the efficient expenditure of
the seventy-fye million dollars appro
rriated by congress for road develop
ment. Hence the highway department
of each state is required to make all
surveys, plans and specifications of
work to be done, and it is through this
department that the secretary of the
treasury will transmit to each state its
rightful part of the federal fund
1t is to be hoped, therefore, that the
counties of Georgia will respond
promptly to the request of the High
way commission of this state asking
them to assent formally to it's jurisdic- |
ton in matters of this kind and to
pledge their support for the mainte- .
nance of all highways improved with
the aid of federal grants. The COM
has prepared and distributed
for this purpose a standard resolution
tn tho foIIowino affact.
"At a meeting of the board of county
commissioners Tor ordinary as the case
may be-, having charge of the roads
and revenues of said county, the fol-
lowing resolutions were adopted:
Resolved, That we hereby appoint
the State Highway department of Geor-
gia as our duly constituted authority in
this county to the office of public roads
of the United States at Washington for
the approval of the secretary of agri-
culture and we hereby agree and bind
the county of - to furnish labor
and material necessary to construct
the road, or roads, as projected in said
county, under the direction and super
vision aid according to the plans and
specifications of the said State High
way department We agree to levy q
tax sufficient for said purpose in con-
sideration of said county being reim-
bursed by the federal government OF
fifty per cent of the cost of said labor
and material as expended on said pro-
ject, not to exceed ten thousand dol
lars per mile.
We further agree to properly main
tain said road and to levy a tax for and
to set aside each year during the
period Of five years sufficient funds to
guarantee the proper maintenance Of
and the making of the needed repairs
AID the preservation of a reasonably
smooth surface on said highway con-
sidering the type of road, to be con-
structed under this agreement with the
State Highway department and the
federal government"
The latter clause of the resolution Is
particularly well advised, for no phase
OF highway improvement is more i'm
portant than that involving road main
tenance. Millions Of dollars have been
wasted on roads which were well built,
but which went to pieces for lack Of
| timely repair The Georgia commits
sion is eminently right in insisting that
each county expecting to share in the
national fund shall set aside each year
for the prescribed period an amount OF
tax money sufficient to guarantee the
upkeep Of the roads improved. This
viii assure efficiency in the use Of 10
cal as well as the general fund. and
win result in a substantial saving to
the taxpayers Of each community con