New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1920-03-13
ROAD SUPERVISOR.

There is a strong sentiment, both IL
this City, as well as in the Parish that
not until Iberia Parish has real Road
Supervisor, to look after and make IN
mediate repairs to the public highways
can we ever hope to get the good results
from the money expended on our hlgn-
WAYS This is very evident from the past
history of our Parish. It will be remem-
bered when we had Road Supervisor
in the person of Mr.. William Lourd, the
dirt roads Of this Parish were always ut
to travel The first thing that received
attention before repairing a road was the
drainage-we all know that without good
drainage, whether the roads are @n-
structed with gravel or not-they will go
TO pieces in a few days.
With the great expenditure of money
constructing gravel highways, it will be
a waste of money, unless we have some
one regularly employed who will be ready
at an instants' notice to visit the spot
that needs attention and carry with him
a couple Of men to make the repair. Our
fault has been that we dillydally entirety
too long either in the repair of bridge,
or cutting a drain, or if needs be, filling
in a hole All of this could be easily
remedied with a Road Supervisor familiar
with building highways and keeping
them in good condition. 1t was not our
intention when we penned these words
to offer a suggestion as to whom should
be employed. On the other hand the
work Of Road Supervisor could be com
bined with the position of Secretary of
the Police Jury. This being feasible, if
it is the intention of the incoming Police
Jurors who will qualify in the next two
months, to employ Mr.. Paul Basin in
that capacity, then why not stretch a
point and make him Parish Road Super
visor as we'll. In this way the members
of the Police Jury can always report to
him bv phone or otherwise, and he could
then get up a gang of laborers and give
the highways immediate attention. The
Road Supervisor should be provided with
small four seated car and then he
would be in position to pick up help and
take them wherever they were needed
and have the work done Immediately.
Without wishing to throw bouquets at
our present Secretary, we do not believe
more conscientious public official was
ever employed in that capacity. We have
not yet ascertained whether he would fill
both positions. If he would, however
we do not think he could be improved
upon. If the citizens of this Parish are
of the opinion that once they have gravel
highways that they can be left to take /
care of itself they are entertaining an
erroneous impression.
The fact that our roads will require a
great expenditure of money is more rea-
son to have them cared for properly, after
they are constructed. Other parishes !
have long since realized the urgent ne
cessity of employing a Road Supervisor
and we trust the incoming members Of
the Police Jury will at once make pro-
vision for the employment of a person,
whose duty it will be to watch every
Parish. Several pieces of road machin-
cry will have to be purchased at a little |,
expense to the taxpayers also. This will
be necessary whether we employ a Road
Supervisor, or continue in our same
haphazard indifferent manner. There is |
only one solution to the road problem and
that is after they are built they must De |
maintained and it is far better to have
one reliable man on the job than to de-
pend upon Tom, Dick or Harry as the
case might be to look after the roads in
his Ward. Thousands of dollars can be
saved by throwing the responsibility ONTO
one man, and when a stretch of road is |
neglected, we will then know the reason |
why. Several columns could be written
showing the urgent necessity of Road
Supervisor. This is unnecessary, as there
are but few of our citizens who are sat
isfied with the present conditions, and
one and all would be willing to try out
Road Supervisor.