Americus times-recorder., 1919-12-02
ROADS AND PROMISES.

he board Of county commissioners yester-
day did sensible thing when they went before the
Sumter county gTand juTy for consultation with
the people On r1zal paving The commiss. .oners
Rad taken sszQ hey were not entirely of on
second tAoazAe and they wanted to consult the
people >os bezzg 2ble TO consult all of the people
they chose the most democratic and representative
body N our form of government next to the peo-
pie, the county grand jury. And it did them
world OF good. They found sympathetic body,
a trusting body. body willing to listen and then
to express itself And the grand jury expressed
itself, according to reports, about the commits
sioners already felt-that the board was about to
buy three miles of costier paving than the county
could afford or than the people would be content to
have. So it appears today that the commissioners
will wipe the slate clean and start again. Which
seems to be mighty good thing to do in this case
before it is too late.
The commissioners acted entirely in good
aith in accepting the bid for concrete paving The
pr~e shocked them a bit at the time, but they
were advised it was the best bid, and from many
standpoints it did at the time. But the
federal aid system prevents hasty action in matters
of this great import, and the acceptance did not
become contract until approved by the state high
way engineer That approval has not been given
And now it develops that, after ALL way can be
found to do the job for great deal less than the
lowest bid submitted by contractors-that is, b,
the county using its own convicts and doing the
Job itself.
Which seems the sensible thing to do anc
the only way out. Competent engineers basins
their hgures present prices and conditions, in
@st that the county lay its own paving at e
gross cost of about $4,000 per mile, or slightly
over half the price named in the accepted bid
nearly S33,OOO That means that FIVE or six mile.
can be built with the money it was planned tc
spend on three miles of highway.
lhe commissioners now realize that while
the people OF Sumter county getting impatient
10 see the paving program actually started, they
Will not be content to the money they have
voted tor definite paving program put into a
program shrunken by half, with few roads lead
ing from Amercus beautifully surfaced and the re-
mainder of the county which was promised equal
y good highways left for another bond issue They
realize that the promised paving program must be
carried through, Just as pledged and that a way
must be found to do it-and they are finding a
way.
Not that the commissioners had forgotten the
paving program promise When the bids were
opened they were not given the expert advic,
which should have been given them that there wa
any possibility of getting the job done at hgur,
anywhere near what had been expected This ad
vice although late, they now have, and are read,
to accept it and act upon it.
The county board may rest assured that
will have the complete support of the people il
carrying out the pledged paving program, evel
though the work goes little slower than was hope
Tor because of the necessity of doing the work our
selves And it may be said the people appreciat
the feeling of lack of self suiciency on the part
the board which permits it, while in doubt, to as
advice