Smyrna times., 1919-06-11
KENT UNABLE TO BID FOR
STATE AID ON GOOD ROADS
PERMANENT ROADS COST TOO
MUCH PER MILE AT PRESENT
What Work Is Done Will Have To Be
Done Without State Aid.-Busy
Session of Court.

on Tuesday OF last week with all
members present. Reports from sew
eral committees were heard including
the report of Commissioner Hope who
had been appointed to see Chief Eng
ineer Upham of the State Highway
relative to the State law regarding
the building or improvement of coun-
ty highways where the State furnish
ed dollar for dollar of the county's
money. Mr.. Hopes report was to the
effect that all roads to be improved
by the county where State aid is ex-
pected by the county must be done
under the plans and specifications of
the State Highway. 1t was found
that this cost per mile would be about
$4,000, half of which the State would
pay and the county would have to apy
the other half. The Court felt that
this improvement was out of the CUES
ton, and that if any roads were con-
structed through the county they
would have to be done by the county
without State aid. Mr.. Richardson
and Mr.. Lynch, interested in tue i'm
provement of the Mahon's Ditch
Road, appeared before the Court
with propositions of cedar posts
for work on the road, also the ques-
ton of oyster shell. After hearing
the report of the men and also a re-
port from the County Engineer,
the Court did not feel it would be
justified in making the improvements
at the cost estimated, $4,000, when
the road was used by oystermen to
and from their oyster boats and not
altogether a road used by the general
public.
Commissioner Hope, chairman of
the St. Jones' River improvement pro-
ject, stated to the Court that mas
much as there had been given to the
Government by the HUM heirs of the
"Wild Cat" farm a strip of land thus
Strengthening the river to a consider
able extent, and that such improve
ment would be of untold benefit to
the farmers and fruit growers of
Kent county, presented a resolution
which was unanimously adopted call
ing for the construction by the coun-
ty of a road from the causeway at
Lebanon to the fast land of the HUM
property, such road when completed
to be kept up by the county.
The resolution follows:
Whereas, The United States of
America has adopted and approved a
plan for the improvement of st.
Jones River from Dover to the Della
ware Bay, and
Whereas, The said plan provides for
various cut offs along the proposed
route of said river; and
Whereas, Under Act of Congress,
it is necessary for the United States
of America to acquire title to such
cut offs without expense to the
States; and
Whereas, There are two cut-offs
across the property known as "WilC
Cat" situated in North Murderkill
hundred, Kent county, and State Of
Delaware, near Lebanon, Delaware
and
Whereas, The owners of said cut
offs across said "Wild Cat" property
have agreed to convey to the United
Safes of America, without cost, th'
said cut-offs on condition that ther
shall be built or constructed a suit
able roadway leading from the fas
land of the present causeway leading
from Lebanon to Dover-Kitt's Ham
mock road in a nOrtherly direction
across the present stream of 81
Jones' River until it reaches the fas
land of the owners of said "Wild Cat
property; and
Whereas, The Engineering Depar
ment of the United States proposes
construct such roadway; now, ther,
fore, be it
Resolved, By the Levy Court,
Kent county, in regular sessiC
met, that when the said propose
roadway shall have been construct,
by the Engineering Department
the United States, or by private i
dividuals, and when the same sh;
have been approved by the Ke
County Engineer, that the Levy Cou
of Kent county shall and will ado
the said road as one of the pub
roads of Kent county and thereaft
will maintain the same as such pub
road.
The reports of the county office
showed collections for the month
follows: