The Marietta journal. (Marietta, Ga.) 1918-1944, 1919-02-21
That Extra Session

the railroads of the country were in their infancy
strips of wood were fastened upon the ground to serve
for q track and as the weight of the cars increased
larger wooden timbers used and it was founa oe
srabe to Law these on top of large wooden cross pieces
known crossties- .
Experience taught that the wheels OF the car Wnch
were of wood but had iron tires, rapidly cut ana wore
holes in the wooden rails and it was found better
to place light strip along the top surface OF the
track rails. ;,
This did good service and for many years this was the
best known track the size and weight OF the cars
increased it was found that iron and steel rails were better
and safer and really cheaper as they ala not nave " NC
replaced so often
The railroads also found desirable to eliminate grades
filling in bottoms and cutting down hills for saving
power and shortening distances.
Many men in the south still live who can remember
riding somewhere the old tracks with the stringer
rails as thew were called 1t was thing to remember
If you should take a trip such track now, you
would forget it. We distinctly remember the last
such ride had although thirty years ago. We
wonder now how they got along that way but we
must remember that steam were new thing, and
the business of rairoading in its infancy.
It was different with highways. The art OF building
permanent highways is almost old history itself
When Rome was at the zenith of her power she built
stone highways that in today She taught the
art to Others ignorance of bodybuilding excuse
for lack of highways at this tme has it ever been
since civilizations began Lack of funds has always been
the excuse for neglect of roads and this longer
valid excuse.
The railroads never waited to make the money for
single improvement inaugurated by them. Ii they
had waited there would had been railroad They
looked ahead and where failure to improve would
of money and they proceeded to borrow money
in order to invest money, and make money
Our general government waited to get in hand
the money for any good 1t would be foolish to
wait and lose money while waiting.
The State of Georgia, and each separate county IN
the state should have to do good work which
will money and benefit the citizens thereof But IN
respects they have been hampered by certain ega
or constitutional restrictions The first steps toward re-
moving these restrictions and providing definite road
building plan for the state must be taken by the egisa
fure regular session does not meet until next sum-
mer and then it limited to session of fifty days
special session of the legislature could not take
up any other subject to block action.
would be constituted by members of the last session.
whose members and committees have given much time
and study the subject and should be ready to give
prompt action.
The per diem pay after July will be dollars
day. only four dollars and therefore, it would
be less expensive than an extra session next fall.
OF the 81 100000 held to credit of Georgia by the
general government large will revert to the gov
ernment and be lost to the state of Georgia, some
legislative action is not taken before July.
Until question of state highway building is settled
the counties do how proceed with their own
roadbuding projects, for the state is to build trunk
roads, the counties naturally would at once be free to
put all their county and monies on other county
roads.
The sooner plans perfected and work begun the
better and at this time public work will furnish en-
ployment to many of our boys coming home from the
war.
And finally the state of Georgia is losing thousands of
dollars every day by wasting it upon makeshf roads, and
is acting just ooshly the railroads would be doing
they back to the old srnger rail tracks of half
a century ago.
Only savages fail to build permanent highways and the
poor savages don't know any better Don't be savage