The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1920-05-28
REPUDlAIE CONTRACT TO
CONSTRUCT ROAD LET BY .
STATES HIGHWAY BOARD.

line via Spring Hill to Columbia In
Maury county, Tennessee, are hereby
distinctly, positively and specifically
disavowed and dlsclaimed by this
| court, said contract having been en-
tered into over the advice and protest
of the county judge and two of the
highway commissioners Of Maury
county, Tennessee, and in direct con
travention of contract previously en-
tered into between this county and
said state highway commission, to re.
build said above described highway
and 4. +,. -. aye
f"Be it further resolved, that the
Hon W. C. Whitthorne chairman of
this quarterly court, and the trustee Of
Maury county is hereby instructed and
directed NOT to pay over to said high
way commission in the carrying out
of said contract with the said Knox
vile Construction Company any part
of the proceeds arising from the sale
of the bonds of Mauiy county hereto
fore ordered by this. court to be used
as Maury county's portion of the cost
of said highway construction under
the contract between, this court and
said state highway board; and lin ex-
cess of. approximately one-third part
1 of $4,000 per mile.
| BE it further resolved, That should
any litigation arise as the result of
this action upon the part of this court,
the Hon Hugh T. Shelton, county at
torney for Maury county, Tennessee,
! is hereby instructed and directed to
represent this county in said litiga-
/ ton"
This opened the fire works. Hon.
| William w. House, chairman of the
state highway commission, was invit-
ed to address the court. Mr. House
| spoke for nearly an hour and he made
one of the strongest and most conyinc-
| ing pleas for good roads ever made in
Maury county 1t was a fine effort
from every standpoint. The majority
| Of. the audience was in sympathy with
him and he was applauded to the echo
ON ,sones al his statements, one that
was. consulted by the audience as a
yelled thrust at the local road board,
being cheered to the echo. Mr.. House
in illustrating the statement that the
present county system of road mainte-
nance was Inadequate in that it had
cost $17Ain expenses and fees to make
dollar and half repairs on bridge.
Mr.. House said that the road for
] which a contract had been made
would be constructed regardless of the
action of the court That the state
would never repudiate its contract if
he had anything to do with it. He
owed it to the contractors to stand by
the agreement These statements
were cheered.
In the course of his argument Mr..
House said that the contract let in
Maury county for the type of road
was the cheapest awarded in the Unit
ed States or as cheap as any. He said
that at conference recently of the
highway departments of thirty-four
states, it developed that no contract
had been awarded in any Of them for
less than $4,000 mile for the type of
road to be constructed in this county
He asked il any one in the audience
could tell him how road could be
constructed in Maury county that
would have any permanency at cost
to the county of from only $11 600, to
$12 900 a mile. He said that any road
over main highway in this county
built at that cost would break the
county for maintenance.
Chairman House said that absolute
ly the road would be maintained by
the state and federal. governments;
that the resolution OF the court levy
ing MAINTENANCE tax of two per cent
of the bond issue could be repealed,
that. the road would be absolutely
maintained by the state and federal
governments.
During the discussion of the cues
ton, w. p. Moore, state engineer, ad-
dressed the court Mr.. Moore said
that when his estimate of $4,000 a
mile was made it was done on the
spur of the moment and he figured on
a sixteen foot road and not twenty
foot highway, that he thought the pres
ent road bed would stand, but that he
had found that new road bed would
have to be constructed and also that a
sixteen foot road could not take care
OF the traffic of the road. He said
that the road would be twenty feet
to Mt. Pleasant The Pulaski pike
would be sixteen feet. that width run
ming through Giles county.
Mr. Moore in answer to a question
from Squire English, said that he was
confident that sooner or later the. state