Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-10-29
HOW 4 KENTUCKY COUNTY
OBTAINED 5000 ROADS
hopkins County Good Roads .Assuci-
alton Replaces Supervisor
81. With Engineer.
MAlNrENANcE COST is LOW
People Soon Appreciate Difference
between Maintained Road and
That Which Is Not Maintained.
Valuable Data Is Gathered.

IAN official OF the Kentucky. Depart
partment of Highways writes:
In preliminary examination of the
roads In the several counties under
supervision, the earth roads OF Hopkins
County attracted attention because of
their generally good condition. which
investigation showed to be due to the
installation of system of maintenance
by spli,-log drags
Previous To 1911 tho county roads
were in charge of road supervisor.
who authorized the expenditure of Il
county road fund. Seven or eight
grader outfits were, employed for eight
or nine months during the year. county
warrants were issued with no method
OF adequate bookkeeping to show the
expenditures. and. as result, the road
fund Was overdrawn yearly and the
deficiency taken from other county
funds With ii change of county Of
iicialS it was found that while the
county road fund amounted to abou;
S32.o0o over s39.oo0 had actually been
expended on approximately go miles
OF roads. the amount of work done
being the smallest for which the cit
liens would stand and yet pay the bills.
Road Engineer Appointed.
The new county officers. appreciate
ing the high cost for the small amount
of work rendered, published these con-
ditions. which resulted in the formation
Of the Hopkins County Good Roads AS
ISOLATION. with the object of securing
better county roads and knowledge Of
the items Of expenditure on roads. The
first action OF the association was to
require the approval Of the fiscal court
before payment OF any claim against
the county. In 1911" county engineer
was appointed replacing the road
SUPERVISOR. The county roads were
under his SnnprviSinn and
two-milc sections designated. and in
january. 1913 draes were started on
about 100 miles of the county roads.
This original contract was only for
dragging tho roads, which work was
to be done four times between jan
uary and April !. at cost Of $40
To SO per mile AS the sections
b dragged were not continuous, the cit
liens at once appreciated the differ
cucc between the maintained road and
that which was not maintained. Con
saquonuy. the next contract which
called for dragging and also for clean
ing the bitches for six months, until
November. 1918, resulted in contracts
for $50 miles Of road and at a reduced
cosi.
In November. 1913. n contract sub.
stantialiy like that now in use was
adopted. and the time Of the contrac;
was for one year. or until November
1914. over 200 miles were maintained
this year at an average cost of SaS pei
year per mile For the year from
November. 1914. to November 1915. tho
benefit of the maintained roads was SO
well understood by the citizens thai
$50 miles were under contract at al
average cost Of s2i35 per mile pc
year.
Mnintennnre Cost TX Low.
In November. 1919. two-year con
tract was entered into. which the coun
" may revoke for nom performance o
the obligation at tho end OF the frs
year. About $50 miles are now unde
contract. At prices ranging from Sl2 I,
$40 per mile per year. the average be.