French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1916-1919, 1919-01-30
NORTH CAROLINA MUST
WAKE Up ON ROADS
tremendous Sums Available Through Federal Aid
But in Danger OF Being Forfeited by This State.
Onprogressive Countys May Block DEVELOPMENT
OF otate Highway System-Henderson Countv's
Share--No Time to Lose.

Inc Highway Commission of North
; carolina is handicapped with the very
" lmlted annual appropriation of 500.
OUo.Oo 1t is easy and clear to see
, That $2O,OOO.OO a year will employ bu.
teW competent professional engineers
! to give service to the counties of this
Dig state, disregarding absolutely any
cooperation with the Federal Govern
ment in the handling of Federal Aid
funds.
Sl1,l00 for Henderson County
l OF the $4,000, 100000 appropriated by
Congress in 1916 to be used by the
States of the Union in a five year De-
riod, North Carolin's allotment is one
million seven hundred thousand dol
lars. AS the Federal Government al
lotted this money to the States accord
ing to population, tax values and mile
age OF post roads, so also has North
I Carolina made its allotment to the
counties on a basis of population tax
en- in 1910, state road mileage anc
! trunk mileage; and under this method
! of making the allotment Henderson's
County's portion is $17,100.0O
State Supervision Required
Under the Federal law it is express
| ly provided that the supervision Of en-
! gineering and construction must be
done by the States of the Union 1t is
| readily seen why such restriction is
could not reasonably be expected
to consider and handle projects With
each and every county or sub-division
in all the different states OF the Union,
This restriction requires the High
way Commission of each State to en-
gineer and supervise all road improve
ments, where there is cooperation in
Federal funds. A further require
ment OF the Government is that the
State must provide at least SO per
cent of the cost of construction. Thus,
considering the one million seven
hundred thousand coming to North
Carolina from the Federal Depart
ment and at least one million seven
hundred thousand to be raised un1er
the present law by the counties Of this
State, the State Highway Commission
is faced with the tremendous task of
preparing plans and carrying out the
work of the proper and efficient expen-
diture of three million four hundred
thousand dollars. 1t takes real brains
and expert business management even |
to handle this amount of funds in road |
improvements. 1t is roughly estimat- |
ed by the State and Government that !
it costs approximately 10 per cent to
handle the engineering and supervis- |
ion of the work and it is, therefore,
necessary for the State department. TO |
have approximately three hundred and |
seventy thousand dollars to carry on |
this work to the best advantage dur |
ing this five year period, whereas |
only twenty thousand dollars a year |
for the five year period is furnished
to this department; only hundred |
thousand dollars, or little more than
one fourth the estimated required
cost. To meet this emergency the !
State Highway Commission has pas
sed a ruling requiring ever County /
which accepts Federal Aid to make a
deposit with the State Department OF
10 per cent of the amount al!otteG,
whicn is to be used in preparing the
survey, maps, plans and specifications
;1 submit to the Federal Government /
for their APPROVAL before the actual Co.
operation in Federal funds may be ell /
led. 1t is found in some CO les tia:
the Counties are actually nc able 10
ra.<e the funds to meet the'c pnrtio IL
of The Federal aid. In otae" instances
are found reactionary county Official" !,
who are not progressive and wi no.
GO forward with their portion Gf the b
expense and cooperation ir HiShW"y
In this even. the i.c3-
pie OF the " 1ole State fiEd themselves
blockd in the improvement Of con-
tinuous State Highway, causing the
people of many sections to land IN a /
mud hole Or at least to encounter
very rough roads, when they go be-
yond their own county limits. This is !
a grave injlstice to the progressive
people in the counties wal-.: ha' e /
gone anead IND made real improve
ments, an injustice which prohibits
their travel into the neighboriag coua- )