Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1919-04-17
APRIL 26 is SET
FOR VALIDATING
BOND issue TO
PAVE HIGHWAYS
County to Employ Engineer to Map
Projects as One of Preliminary
Steps
BOARD TO INVITE BIDS ON
ALL VARIETIES OF PAVING
Government Sounds Warning to Con-
tractors That Work Must
Be of Best

An order has been issued by Judge
q. A. Littlejohn, of the Sumter Su-
perior court, setting April rs as the
date for. the valuation of the 100000
bonds voted by the county April 8 for
the construction of permanent roads,
to be used in conjunction with an
equal amount of government funds.
the valuation of the bond is
sue activities looking toward early &C
tual beginning of the road building
will be started. The board of county
commissioners plans to hold special
meeting at an early date for the pur-
pose of laying plans to get the road
program under way. A message has
been sent to W. r. Neal, state highway
engineer, asking him to name date
when he can appear in person before
the board for the purpose of assisting
in the working out of necessary details
and to answering questions regarding
procedure to meet the requirements
of the government in the federal aid
offer.
One matter to be taken up first is the
employment of civil engineer. 1t was
stated at the highway meeting at
Macon last week that the government
required the preliminary work to be
done at the expense of the county and
by an engineer approved by the state
highway commission. Before a con-
tract for federal aid will be entered
into by the government, the projects
to be undertaken must be mapped in
detail, with surveys made. These are
passed upon by government agents,
and when approved, orders are given
for proceeding with the work, with the
government paying-one half the cost
as the work proceeds, including the
subsequent engineering work. Local
engineers may be employed, if &C
Cepted by the state department, or the
department will supply a man, if ask
ed by the county.
1t was stated at the Macon meeting
by Mr.. Neal that the engineering work
would not have to be completed before
the July apportionment of government
funds in Atlanta, the validating of the
bonds making the county eligible to
share in this appointment. However,
a new application must be filed by
Sumter county, this to be accompan-
led by map embracing the projects
to be undertaken. This matter of a
new application will be attended to by
the commissioners probably al their
next regular meeting.
The county board has already agreed
informally, in order to obtain the
best possible terms in buying mate
rial for the road paving, 20 retain An
open mind on the character Of paving
to be used and to advertise for bids
for all varieties, including concrete,
brick, asphalt and any otler IF Ter
manent nature. Due consideration will
be given all varieties % materials,
and that which appears to be the best
under all considerations accepted.
In this connection it was brought
out at the Macon meeting by w. A.
Grassland, United States district high
way engineer, who has been assigned
to Georgia, that only the very best
built roads would be accepted and
paid for by the government.
81 want to serve notice right now
on all contractors" he said, "that
every foot of road constructed with
federal aid must come up to the let
ter of the specifications. I say this
now, in order that every contractor
who undertakes this work may know
what to expect and make his prices
high enough so that he can be sure
of doing exactly the kind of work that
we demand. The United States is 60
ing into this road building program
for permanency, not expediency. Its
engineers will be on the job at all
times, and every bit ofwork will BIZ
tested--and 1t must all meet the most