The Fayette falcon. (Somerville, Tenn.) 190?-current, 1919-07-25
Our Public Roads

want to express my high personal
regard for the Commissioners who have
bsen elected by the County Court
to look after the working of these roads
and at the same time to express my
astonishment that they continue topper
NIT such inefficient and limited service
g such unheard Of expense; The Cour-
~ Court should be the peoples guard
an. and yet at the last meeting in JU-
'ly. in the face OF abundant proof of
inefficiency of the men now engaged in
the building of our roads, they voted
continued confidence as we'll as addition
al funds.
To bdgin with | want to make only
few statements in this communication:
All roads leading out Of Somerville are
in worse condition than were evsr known
ct this season of the year. Those that
have been worked are as bad As those
that have not been touched. due to
want OF proper. grading and ditchipg.
onlg.onesystem hasc been isnrnedi by,
the Saperyisor ofreadr. and thseiss to
pull tina dirt 10 the, center. 10. most
places the center was high enough and
the dirt should have been showed 10
the edges. fhea center haviog been
raised SO high has caused little bitches
to form from the center to the outer
edges and now vehicles are forced to
Iua in low over half the time, and af-
ter shower II you get off the middle
ridge the slant is SO great you slip in
to q ditch.
Again those handling the graders are
backing off from the bitches and narrow
ing all the roads. Whenever a ditch
has an obstructian it is allowed to re-
main and the first rain causes a ditch
across the road. All the bitches that
terminate ut bridges are turned into
the middle of the road at the bridge.
Again | desire to call your attention
to fact that no road in Fsyette County
can be kept In psssable condition with
only one working annually. even II 1t
were put In perfect condition. l am
told that only about 100 miles of roads
have beon gone over in the County, and
seven months of the year is covered.
Ia District No. |. several have no,
be. touched, and those that have been
worked are in worse condition at this
time of the year than have ever seer
them, and | have lived 10 Somerville
rs years. am not going to discuss
the expenses that have been made by
tbis Commission TO inaugarate and work
over this 100 miles of road just one
time. except to cay that for one half OF
what has been spent every District IL
the County could have been worked anC
re.worked and kept in first class fix
and every road which has been untouch
ed would have been worked once, twice
and maybe three times already. Wha
will become of US during the coming
winter months with more than halt thu
rosds vet untouched and over half o.
the year gone, and no possible chance
to 90 back over roads all eady worked
and which are now almost impossible
This is the most serious problem WI
have to confront. They tell US tina
the heavy rains caused this extraordi
nary condition. This is true to SOM
extent, bat If each District had beeI
let out for sl250.00 or $l5O0.00 pc
District we would have had every Dis
trict in the county with perfect road
and that too at maximum cost of no
over $50 10000.
| am told more than s27, 10000 ha
already been expended win an add
tional S1O.01 "Special" to be drawn up
on when needed. II Is not our purpos
TO hold these Commissioners eotirely re
sponsible for the uufruiifui expsnditur
of this meney, nor to make them re
sponsble for the inefficiency Of thos
working on the graders and tractors
But as business men. for whom ever
one has the highest esteem, they shoul
not permit these men to waste tim
going to and from their work and bs
ginning the same ct such late hours
nor should they keep men 10 their en-
ploy 90 reckless with the County's mi
ckinery, and who are so ignorant COZ
cerning expensive repairs upsn the SAME
which am told is simply enormous
more than $500 90 paid for machine n
pairs in June. nor should these men b
paid full wages while doing absolutel
no work on the roads.
lhe system is a failure and eannC
be =, midied. The manner In whic
roa ds are worked IL ton slip-shod
be ffeciivelv permanent
The expenses incurred slreadv al
too enormous for the results obtsine
II The Commissioners don't remet
ese defects It once our County v
be hank rup', and our roads this ~int
WILDE impossible in . twc horse wsVa
J. A. ALBRIGHT