French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1916-1919, 1918-01-10
ROAD MAINTENANCE is
COUNTY'S GREAT NEED
Continued From First Page

rapid. This however is not universal.
There are stretches of roads that are
holding up well, not. because of badly
needed repair work, but in spite of it.
/ especially refer to roads that are in
fairy good condition simply because
the sand has had the aIl-necessary LLlne
TO became thoroughly incorporated
with the underlying clay.
Source OF KOad Money.
As the question OF money is vitality
fundamental, and as any organization
must, in the last analysis, be based on
the money that is available, l beg to
submit the following:
The assessed valuation OF Hender-
son county for 1917 was $5,935,57S.OO.
There is a tax Of zoe on the $500 for
roads which can be used for construc-
ton or maintenance of highways. TINS
tax will make available tor the COM
ing wear the sum of $11 ,871. There is
likewise a bridge tax in Henderson
county of 1Oc on the 500 which. l I'M
derstand has been used for roads as
well as bridges, and make available
70 rthe current year the sum of $3.50.
In addition to the foregoing there is
the county road tax of $3.50, which is
levied against every male between the
ges of 81 and IS years. The money
(or labor arising from this tax is ap-
DIlcable to any road work, construc-
lion or maintenance, though it has, L
believe, usually been applied to the
latter. | found no record as to the
number of persons paying this tax, Or
the total amount it would yield. 1t is
fairly safe to say, however, that 1t
should give a yearly return of approx
imately $500.
AS a still further source of money
for roads, must be included the re-
turns from the state automobile IL
censes. During the past legislature a
bill was passed which provided that
an amount equal to not less than "7O%o
of the fees collected in any one county
by the secretary of state sha
be expended by the state highway
commission within n year after its
payment by the secretary of state to
the secretary of the treasury, within
such county from which the fees were
collected" While the expenditure Of
this money is delegated to the state
highway. commission, the law plainly
states that the latter can max any
agreement with the county authori-
ties regulating its expenditure as
OSS1lS dUN1OdUlOs Liz LULU AO"ONC
is available only for road maintenance.
From information just to hand from
Mr.. D. H. Wins1ow, state maintenance
engineer of the North Carolina High
way Commission, your committee
learns that there was available for
Henderson county, on December LIST,
1917, the sum of 81 ,49S.
Recapitu1ating the foregoing we
reach the following conclusions, as to
sources and amounts of money for
roads, bridges and maintenance for
the year 1913:
From road tax, 26c------$11, S17.00
From bridge tax, 10c------- 5,935.OO
From individual roadtax co. 6,250.00
From State auto licenses
from June l to Dec. H. 1,49S.00
Total -$25 $500
Now a large proportion of this sum
OF money has each year been available
and has been used, in large measure,
in the maintaining of the chain gang
in bridge and road construction work.
The results that have been attained
every one knows. With this amount
of money, added to that accruing from
township and county bonds (the lat
ter now standing only $25, 000) Hen
derson county has likely secured more
roads and better roads, proportionate-
~, than any mountain county in the
state of North Carolina. The credit
for this great work, in large measure,
belongs to Mr.. P. F. Patton, for whose
skill, untiring energy and personal
self-sacrifice, the county must Away
feel most deeply indebted.
Maintenance Rather Than Construction
Hoo 4h4 4iroo -oA o-1i--oJ I@-,1-o-
when road construction work should
give way relatively to road mainten-
ance? There unqestionably remains
some most important road co1struc-
ton work to be done but it is nos near
ing completion? Bridge work is u
GEestionably needed, but the cost of
materials has caused delays. Labor
too is always the one great serious
block that hampers and renders in
creasIngly expensive both cOastruc-
ton md road maintenance. There
would seem however to be very scant
likelihood Of labor or materials be-
ing cheaper in the near future; and
the question simply arises, wherein
should we eXpend Our greatest efforts
Budget Plan Desirable,
We are, first of all, in need of a
we'll worked out road policy. With
the funds that are available, it seems
to your committee that a sort of bud
get plan is highly desirable. Would
1t not be possible to frame up a pro-
pram for the coming years road
Work.-2C2ortioning certain rather de-.
Unite = tnts for road construction
bridge ~otk and for road mainten-
ance? This surely would seem to be
most desirable, and I hope that it will
meet the approval and secure the en-
oorsement of this Board Of Trade.
Some Definite Plan Necessary.
assuming that this can and will be
oone,-that We VIII know rather deli
n1tely the largest possible amount OF
money that can be had for road main
tenance.-we have to decide on some
method of getting the thing done. Tha
present nlan is as follnws.-tha seuon