The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1919-12-05
HOFFA WRITES ABOUT
ROADS AND MORE ROADS
Commends Board for Present Roads
but Thinks that Body Has Been
too Liberal in Paying Damages for
Rights Of Way.

EuitOr OenClnel:
You have asked me to write a short
article on the roads of Grenada
County. l wish to say that monu-
ment should be erected by the peo-
pie Of Grenada County to the men,
bers of the Board of Supervisors
who were instrumental in securing
for our county it's present system of
dirt roads and more correctly speak
ing the bond issue roads. Blu. for
the votes and work of w. A. Odom,
President; w. v. Horton; d. R. Chill
dress; J. f. Carpenter and L. T.
Hayden, Grenada County instead Of
having the best system of laid out
roads in the state would still have
roads wandering around over the
hills and crooked as snake.
All thinking people of Grenada
County appreciate and commend the
work done by the Board of Super
visors above mentioned. Those peo-
pie who unfortunately cannot think,
their opinion does not matter. Of
course this work is merely prelim-
mary of work yet to come and the
basis has only been laid for hard
surfaced roads which, within the next
two years in Grenada County will be
in full process of building.
Our old Board strove to do their
duty as they saw it. The greatest
fault that could be found with them
was their over liberal spirit in MAX
ing compensation to applicants for
excessive damage on account of the
Rights of Way for the new Roads.
If we could have law passed
made applicable to the country as
we now have in our municipalities in
stead of giving property owners dam
age, making them pay increased taxes
for the privilege of having road i'm
provements made through their prop
erty it would be much better. North
Carolina and many other states have
this law 1t is very seldom that
there is any actual damage by rea-
son of forcing road through mans
property and every patriotic citizen
should be glad to at least donate that
much to the public in the considera-
ton of the benefits they are receiv-
ing. While the vast majority of the
people patriotically gave the rights
of way through their property for
the bond issue roads great many
of our citizens can spell their patriot
ism ''pay-triot-ism" as evidenced by
the Court House records of their
claims against the county for dam
ages.
Grenada County, owing to the ex-
lnsv Of of
zens for damages received by rea-
son of the new roads having been
built through their property has paid
out over $1200O.00 for Rights of
Way. This would have built prac
tically twelve miles of new roads in
different localities in our county
which would have been an inestim-
able benefit to the people concerned
and a great addition to our Highway
System. We understand Lafayette
County only paid $500 in damages
and Pike County with more mileage
than Grenada paid less than $4,000.
We trust the agitation for $685.
O00, 100000 State bond issue to be
raised by Automobile and gasoline
and other taxes will carry in our next
Legislature, if it does this together
with county funds will enable the
counties of Mississippi to construct
a Highway System second to none in
the Country. The time is now, when
every intelligent citizen realizes the
Importance of Hard-surfaced roads in
the saving of wear and tear on We
hicles and injury to stock and are
ready to vote the additional funds
necessary to get them.
Trusting that your progressive pa
per will be found in the forefront
of those advocating road improve
ments and the building of perma-
nent roads, l remain,
Yours very truly,
w. B. HOFFA.