Martinsburg W Va evening journal. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1913-1920, 1919-12-13

At the Friday noon luncheon of
the Good Roads Committee of the
Chamber of Commerce at Hotel Ber-
kelley and the ensuing session held
in the circuit court room, every
thing else was dispensed with in
order to discuss the proportion for
better roads in Berkeley county and
some workable plan whereby these
could be secured.
President. J r. Poland, Directors
II. II. Bmmert, Ward McLanahan.
L. II, Thompson. Allen X. Emmert,
Francis r. Lowell, r. A. Bradford.
7. l.. Dunn. Edward Rutledge. A.
D. Darby. were present and others
at the table were County Comm s.
sioners Welshans and Hesse, B. e.
Gray, U. S. Highway Engineer for
West Va; Major c. p. Fortney,
Chairman of the West Virginia
State Highway Commission; Ed
ward St. Clair Smith. State Highway
Engineer for this district; County
Road Engineer John r Sperow
James B. Fisher, I. w. Wood, A f.
Feltner. Postmaster J. Frank
Thompson. Gray Silver. Stuart w.
Walker, E. C. Henshaw, and Secre-
tary ]. Paul Heinel.
Following the luncheon the meet
ing adjourned to the circuit court
room where others attended the
meeting, including Former Mayor
P. w. Letter, Charles W. Kilbourn,
C. A. Miller. l. d. VanMetre, c. A.
Rothrock. of the Portland Cement
Co; Nelson T. Roberts, county com.
missioner of Jefferson county; City
Engineer T. w. Sparrow, ]. Fred
Laise, Harry P. Henshaw, j. Frank
Seibert.
TIL meeting was called Ia order
by .1r j. r. Poland, president of
the Chamber Of Commerce, who
stated its purpose very briefly and
called upon Mr. Gray Silver, chair.
man OF the Good Roads Committee
OF the Chamber to preside. With a
few Introductory remarks concern
ing present road conditions and the
need for action on the part of Ber-
kelley county if the county is to
make the most out of future appro-
.
ty Commissioner Hesse to explain
his plan 1t has been previously
explained that Mr.. Hesses plan pro-
vldes for the construction of So
miles of Class A roads and 90
miles OF lateral roads, and this to
be accomplished by bond issue of
100000, which would mean the
slight increase OF one cent over the
present road levy Mr. Hesse dis
played map with the proposed
roads sketched thereon.
The discussion then became gen.
eral and the visiting road officials
gave the assemblage considerable
valuable information. From the
manner in which Major Fortney was
questioned by those present it was
a little while until the matters UNI
der discussion were made quite
clear. The Major spoke of the pro-
posed S50.000,000 bond issue which
will be presented at the next SEES
sion of the legislature, intimating
that when this bond issue became
a law those counties which have
already constructed roads through
their own efforts would be the first
to receive recognition from the
state. lie urged the best possible
expenditure of this county's money
and the adoption of a comprehen-
| siye plan that would round out the
road system of the county. Many
roads are built only to end in mud
holes and such are weak links in
the whole system. Major Fortney
spoke OF the tremendous increase
in the number of motor vehicles and
said this additional auto tax would
greatly increase the efficiency OF
the sums raised by the county in
addition TO state and federal aid
State District Engineer Smith
thought Berkeley county would be
acting more wisely if the proposed
issue of bonds would be for ST.
100000 instead of 100000. Then
there would be something left for
the maintenance of roads after they
had beep built. He referred to the
Arden road as an illustration of the
folly of building a good road and
then allowing it to so to pieces
through neglect. As Mr.. James B.
Fisher later remarked, this county
has built roads and then foolishly
neglected them
Many present were extremely de-
sirous OF knowing what we might
expect in the event of the $4,000
or 100000 raod bond issue and
their earnestness was evidenced by
the way they piled Major Fortney
with questions. Would she spend
her own money and then have to
whistle for State aid, or would the