The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1920-08-06
FEREBEE WILL KILL HIS
OWN HIGHWAY PROJECT
Will Not Consent to Building Any Thing But Hard
Surface Road and He Cant Provide The
Money For That

d
Northeastern North Carolina
District Highway Commission
held in Elizabeth City Wednes-
dav, August 4, Senator Miles w.
Ferebee put himself squarely on
record as opposed to the con-
struction of anything other than
hard surfaced road under the
legislative act known as the Fer
abee Bill Thereby Senator Fer
abee himself effectually kills the
one remaining prospect Of gett-
mo arv sort Of a district road.
The Ferebee Bill does not pro-
vide enough money to build a
hard surfaced road from Chowan
n the Virginia state line. There
i no assurance Of state and fed
era1 aid to build the road and the
five counties in the district pos
itivelv will not vote a bond IS
size OF 100000 to build that
particular highway.
The meeting in Elizabeth City We'd
nesdav was for the purpose OF getting
together the road commissioners and
CONSERVATIVES of the several counties
and irving to arrive at an agreement Oh
some sort of an amendment that would
arabIe the District Commission to bullo
rre Droposed fiye-county road. The
meeting got no where other than to ap-
roirt committee to go to Raleigh next
week and have another round OF tali
with the State Highway Commission.
TL,. meeting was not repre- sentative
If the district. 1t was significant that
7. Il. Johnson. the Representative from
Crrr.luck County and NJ. L. Burgess
r: HepreSentative from Camden Coun
- were not present at the meeting
Th,f. failure to attend indicated theil
la. Of interest in the project; 1t ha'
r.,, known for some time that Mr.
Johnson is no longer interested in the
District Highway scheme and
j.. . ~lfe bet that Mr. Burgess will line
~, v.tA NJ Johnson.
Cau.-au !. opposed to the Ferebee
Bill and VII ,la1 back its Representa-
tive on any a-4endment other than
r4noaI Of tie act. The Chowan member
If the District Commission was not a
the meeting Wednesday. Chowan ha:
refused outright TO levy its tax under
til Ferebee Bill. While other countie:
i'll tie district have paid in the ten cent:
on the 800 provided by the .Ferebet
Act. Chowan hasn't put up a dollar
and will not unless it is choked out O
hcr Will any one attempt to choke
an Objectionable tax out of Chowan
Not hardly. Remember the Edentol
Tea Party Those Edentonians hav'
that little old tea kettle stuck up on
post on their public square where the!
are constantly reminded of it.
1t was admitted at the meeting her
Wednesday that hard surface roa'
could not be built under the Ferebe'
Act for less than two millions. The pro
posed road is 40 miles long. Concret
road construction to-day costs S45,OO'
to $4,000 a mile. Some think the roa
could be built at a cost of S4O,OOO
mile
Tie Ferebee Bill provides a bond is
sue of only 100000. or just one fourt
Of the lowest possible cost of the road
The Ferebee Bill does not provide ia:
levy sufficient even to- take care of
SIoO.000 bond issue. The tax levy is L
cents. based upon the old valuation. Th
General Assembly is pledged not to in
crease taxes more than. ten per cen
under the Revaluation Act. Chairma
{. W. Whedbee of the District Highwa
Commission says a 25 cents tax lev
should be made to take care of a hal
million dollar bond issue, based upo
the 1911 valuation.
II all gets down to this: Drasti
amendments will have to be made t
make the Ferebee Bill workable; on
OF L"r" of these amendments must il
Volye considerable tax levy upon tn
i've counties. Will the counties stan
Tor It: VIII Mr.. Johnson, of Curritucl
Mt burgess Of Camden and Mr.. McN1u
laI' If Chowan support such amend
mehf>: 1t is not likely. Perquimar
county viii support almost any sort {
amendment and Representatives Sau1
UerS OF l'aSquotank says he will consit
ef any reasonable amendment. But tt
Representatives, of Perquimans and Pa
q0otahk represent minority of y
noses to be counted.
Eighteen months ago this newspapt
informed its readers that the Ferebt
District Highway would not be built Ill
usf the Ferebee Act as it now stand
iA-~ newspaper will almost wager tn
VIII not be built under an amendt
aeI hnd in laying this wager w.
'%'l''y'S would pledge to support al
"'i'' A'.m"nt agreed upon by the cou
's "f Chowan, Ferquimans, Camdt