The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1920-07-30
SEEKING TO AMEND THE
DISTRICT HIGHWAY ACT
May Abandon Hard Surface Road Plans For Less
Expensive Type of Road to
= Start

man OF the Northeastern North
Carolina District Highway Com
mission was in Elizabeth City
Wednesday and in conference with
Representative w. o. Saunders
a plan has been suggested by
which the proposed intercounty
highway from Chowan county to
the Virginia state line may be
realized.
Under an act of the General Assem-
bly, of 1919, introduced by Senator M.
w. Ferebee and popularity known as the
Ferebee Bill, special road district was
created, composed of the counties of
Currituck, Camden, Pasquotank, Per-
quimans and Chowan. A commission
representative of these five counties was
created and authorized to build hard
surfaced road from the Chowan coun-
ty line near Edenton to the Virginia
line near Northwest, via Hertford, Eliz-
abeth City, Camden, Shawboro and Mo-
yock.
The Ferebee bill provided that one
half the cost of the proposed road
should be borne by state and federal
aid, one fourth by abbutting property
owners and onks fourth by the district.
The districts fourth of the cost, esti-
mated at $500.O00 to be met by bond
issue of S500,0OO. A tax of 10 cents
on the $10O of all real and personal
property valuations in the five counties
inI TO 70, ;,,+o
and retirement of the bonds
A period of eighteen months has clap
sed since the Ferebee bill became a
law and not lick of work has been
struck on the proposed road. The main
obstacle in the path of the District
Highway Commission is the utter un-
certainty of getting state and federal
aid. Another obstacle has been inability
to sell the districts bonds because the
tax levy was not high enough to satisfy
prospective bond buyers
But even if the bonds had been sold
giving the Commission $500,000 to werk
with, that sum of money would not
have covered more than a fourth of the
cost of an eighteen foot cement road
oxersthe proposed route. nd still there
is no assurance of any substantial aid
from the State Highway Commission
This newspaper has contended and
still believes that if the Ferebee Dis
trict Highway is built it will have to
be built by the counties involved, solely
at the expense of the counties, without
a dollar of state or federal aid. On the
basis of a total cost of two million dol
lars for the road for five counties, Pas
quotank would pay sohething like four
tenths, or around SSOO,O00 for that road.
This newspaper does not believe that
the tax payers of this county are will
ing to assume such an obligation right
at this time.
Saunders Suggests Plan
1t has been known for some time that
the Ferebee Bill will have to be amend
ed, if possible at the Special Session of
the General Assembly in August. What
amendments can be made that will as
sure the building of the road? Chair
man Whedbee's mission to Elizabeth
City Wednesday may have been to feel
out the Representative from this county
with view of ascertaining what amend
ments the Pasquotank Representative
would stand for. Mr.. Whedbee has new
er made the mistake of assuming that
w. o. Saunders was in any way oppos-
ed to the District Highway.
Mr.. Saunders suggested a plan to Mr..
Whedbee which seemed to meet with
Mr.. Whedbee's approval and from which
some agreement can be reached and the
proposed highway realized 1t is ,Saun-
ders' idea that the plan to build hard
surfaced road be abandoned until some
future time and the District Highway
Commission concern itself at present
with a less expensive type of road which
would be made the foundation for a
heavy traffic concrete road to be built
when more money is available.
Nothing less than the most expensive
type of cement construction should be
considered in the construction of hard
surface road oyer the route indicated
because the opening of such road will
be an invitation to such a stream of
traffic as this section has never dream
ed Of Five and ten ton motor trucks
will be thrown upon the road in the
handling of farm produce and merchan-
disc of all kinds between Hertford,
Edenton, Elizabeth City and Norfolk.
Abolish Toll Bridge
1t would be suicidal to build such
road on the foundation now available.
A good road bed should be provided
before a single yard of concrete has.
been put down. 1t is the opinion of your
that the District High
way Commission should proceed with
the expenditure of $500,OO0 and build
a sand, clay and gravel road a foun-
dation for the road to CONG This road
would admirably serve the traffic needs
of this section for the next two or three
years.
sand. before beginning the construc-
ton of this foundation road the District
Highway Commission should make the
physical connection over the Pasquo
tank River at or 'near Elizabeth City,
acquiring the present toll bridge Or con-
a more durable and satisfac