The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1919-02-07
S COUNTIES TO BUILD
MILLION DOLLAR ROAD
Senator Ferebees Scheme to, Build Great Perma-
nent Highway From Albemarle Sound via Hert-
ford and Elizabeth City to Virginia Line


1aborating with State Highway
Commissioner Falls, is the
author Of an interesting con-
structive piece Of legislation de-
signed to give the northeastern
North Carolina counties the
much desired permanent high
way between the Albermarle
Sound and the Virginia State
Line
The proposed legislation took tangi-
BILE form in a meeting held in the as
sembIy- room of the Chamber of Com
merce in Raleigh Monday night when
a committee was appointed to draft
bill to authorize the counties of Chow
an, Perquimans, Pasquotank, Camden
and Currituck to form road district
and Jointly build a hard surfaced road
from Edenton to the Virginia state line.
the proposed road to connect Hertford,
Elizabeth City, Shawboro and Moyock
and to tap the proposed hard surfaced
road from Norfolk. Va. to the North
Carolina state line.
The meeting Tuesday night was at
tended by the Senators and Represen-
tatives of the counties Indicated and
by the following citizens: J. S. McNider.
Chas. Whedbee and Thos.Nixon of Per-
quimans; E. F. Aydlett. c. r. Pugh and
J. K. Wilson, Of Elizabeth City; w. I.
Halstead, of South Mills; DR.. w. H.
Cowell, r. o. Bagiey and Sheriff r. E.
Flora, of Currituck. 49,
The proposed road would be prefer
ably Of the most approved type. Of con-
crete construction and would be IA to
16 feet wide. It's total length, from
Edenton to the Virginia line would be
about 40 miles and it would cost ap-
proximately $seo,oO0 to $1,o00,000. The
road would receive state and federal
aid to the extent Of possibly one fourth
of its total cost; abutting property ow-
ners would be assessed for another
fourth Of the total COST This would
leave $500. 900 to s500.oO0 to be raised
by bonding the district, each county
paying according to it's taxable proper
ty valuation. Chowan county with a
tax valuation of 100000 would get
miles of the road; Perquimans with a
tax valuation Of $3,500.00O would get
10 miles Of the road; Pesquotank with
a tax valuation of $S,000,000 would get
61a miles; and Currituck with $1,000
900 would get IL miles. Pasquotank
would pay four ninths of the cost of
the road and get about one eight of the
road mileage; but it is pointed but that
1izo 6nf fvy md Do oT1lY ND TSr
the chief beneficiaries Of the proposed
highway.
The conference Tuesday night ap-
pointed Hon. Chas. Whedbee, chairman
of committee to draft a bill along the
lines indicated. Representative Saun-e.
ders moved that the commission to be
created by the proposed act be en-
powered to acquire any existing toll
road or build any bridge at any point
on the Pasquotank river necessary to
the carrying out of the project. Mr..
Saunders pointed out that without such
powers the commission might find it
self at the mercy of existing toll roads
and be forced to purchase such prop
erty disadvantageously. The Saunders
motion was unanimously adopted.
IlS 10 De Cr0dI0U WOuIQ
be composed of one member from each
of the five counties.
The scheme is opposed by Mr. Hal
stead of South Mills township, Cam
den county, who thinks his township
should be exempt from taxation on
scheme which would build a road not
by way Of South Mills township Re-
preventative Morgan of Perquimans op-
poses the scheme because, he says, he
is a native of North Carolina, proud of
his birth place and doesn't favor build
ing any road that will help any body.
get out of North Carolina. He says
everybody ought to stay at home and
try to keep everybody else at home.
Representative MCMILLAN of Chowan
opposes the scheme because he thinks
Chowan would have to pay more for its
part of the road than it could build the
road for by itself. This is hardly true.
but it is good enough for an argu-
ment. There never was a general
road scheme on which everybody could
be. united.