The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-01-20
Remedy Is Possible.

0AE 80 AlENAAAblE NOilNAhlHNEs A. - ~
timated upon reliable information that
there are a half million idle cars on
the sidetracks Of the railroads. Of the
country, which could be made available
for the hauling Of road building ma
terials II $50 10 800 per car were spent
on necessary repairs.
IF these bad order cars were re-
paired and put back into service, they
would more than supply the needs Of
the states Of Tennessee, Arkansas, Mis-
sissippi, Louisiana, Georgia, Texas and
Oklahoma for cars for road material
movements. We estimate that the an
nual need OF these states for such pur-
poses is 100000 cars.
1T Is now very difficult to get a
highway contractor to bid on road con-
tracts, because OF the car shortage.
The contractors do not know whether
they can get cars for hauling their
materials and machinery or not II they
take a contract. There is no way Of
telling what grave delays they may suf-
fer with the consequent loss of money.
I look to see many efforts made on
the part of the counties and road i'm
provement districts of the lower Mis-
siSsippi valley to assist contractors in
meeting this difficulty and encourage
them to undertake road building con
tracts. They may arrange to advance
money on road material bills OF lading,
so that the contractor will not have
to tie up large sums of money In ma
terlals. They may arrange for all the
year-round contracts for the purcha SO
and delivery Of road materials. so that
materials may be accumulated during
the periods of slack traffic on the rail-
roads and put down at the site OF i'm.
proNementS. Under this arrangement
the road contractor would only be re-
sponsible for the putting down Of the
road.
1T may be that the states or the
federal government will decide to pur-
| chase gravel deposits and distribute the
output of these deposits to the counties
wishing to improve their highways un-
der the state or federal aid plans"
There are $4,000 acres OF gravel de-
| posits in Alabama and Mississippi avail
able for such purposes, Mr., King said
Natural Material.
Gravel is the practical material for
the construction of hard surfaced high
ways in the lower Mississippi valley,
said Mr.. King. 1T is the most ac-
e tSs pie ana therefore the cheapest for
the SOUTH he said. '"The gravel road,
II rightly constructed. OF proper thick
ness and properly drained and treated
with a blanket OF asphalt, makes a
highly desirable highway, practically
permanent that viii stand up under
heavy traffic through any kind of
weather and all seasons Of the year.
THE gravel on a main highway such
as the trunk road of a county should
be eight to 10 inches thick in addition
to the top treatment Of asphalt Every
inch Of gravel increases the CARRYING
capacity Of road five times. Five or
six inches of gravel will be adequate
on the lateral roads, which are not
called upon to endure a great deal of
Il fOn I. lSxt
way must be concave, the grade being
about five per cent. If the road Is con
structed over swamp land, under the
gravel surface may be necessary to In
sure proper drainage. Drainage is very
important and should be well provided
for by well cleaned ditches along the
road.
The vast amount Of road Improvement
work scheduled at present in West Ten
nessee, North Mississippi and Eastern
and Southern Arkansas was outlined by
Mr.. King. In West Tennessee, by coun-
ties, for 1920, It is as follows: Upton
$4,000; Lauderdale, $150,0O0; Dyer,
100000; Obion, $3.50 900; Weakley, $780,
600: Crockett. $4,000: Carroll. 500, oO0
McNairy, 100000; Henderson, $3.50, O000
Chester, 100000; Hardeman, 5000, 900
Fayette, $4,000. State and federal aid
will about double these figures In each
county
Mississippi Active.
In North Mississippi the following
amounts have been appropriated for
road improvements this year: DeSoto,
$4,000 Marshall. $150,OO0; Tunica
100000; Coahoma- 100000 Sunflower
S250.0oo; Tallahatchie, $500, 900; LeFlore
$3.50, 900; Lee, $500, 900; Tate, $3.50, 900
Pamela, $3.50, 900. NEARLY every county
In Mississippi is doing something" said
Mr.. King, land you may figure in ad.
dition to what the counties are doing
tho $4,000, 900 road bond issue which
will be presented to the Mississippi leg
islature."
Arkansas good roads are built under
road improvement districts and the dis
tricts in Eastern and Southern Arkan-
sas already have authorization for the
construction OF over $4,000 900 worth Of
hard surfaced roads within the next
few years. The Arkansas legislature
has authorized the expenditure by road
districts of over &75,000,0O0 throughout
the state In the construction of about
5000 miles Of hard-surfaced roads
About SIC, 1000, 900 OF this money is avail
able for use in 1920 and 1t Is expected
all of it will be spent within the next
ten years.
As an evidence Of Alabama's good
roads activities, Mr.. King said a cam
paign is now being carried on in that
state for a $25, 900, 900 road bond issue
with every promise of success.