The Columbus dispatch. (Columbus, Miss.) 19??-1922, 1920-08-11
HON. D. W. ROBINS
VISITS COLUMBUS
EXPLAINS HIS POSITION
TOWARD SEVERAL IS
SUES WILL BE
HERE FRIDAY.
INSPECTS PROJECT
Interest In Road Matter Increas-
ing-Big Meeting Next
Friday.


Hon. D. w. Robins, State Highway
Commissioner for the First district,
which embraces the nine counties In
the First Congressional district, was
in Columbus on yesterday. His visit
here was for the purpose of viewing
the connecting link Of two miles be-
tween the Lowndes county and Lamar
county ends of the Jackson Highway,
with the view of incorporating this
project in the plans for Federal road
improvement in this State. In COM
pany with a delegation from this sec
ton and the road engineers he motor
ed to the boundary line of the two
counties yesterday and went into the
project thoroughly. Mr.. Robins was
not seen, by Dispatch reporter upon
his return and his conclusion in re-
ference to this matter was not public
in time for this paper.
Mr.. Robins visit brought to the
fore the matter of the race for high
way commissioner in this county, he
being candidate, and Mr.. J. 0.
Prude, Of Amory, being his opponent
for the position. Very little time or
attention has been given this race
by the people of the county and they
are unprepared to decide intelligently
as to the best man for the job. A
large amount of opposition to Mr..
Robins had developed here in the be-
lief that he has favored Lee county to
exclusion Of the other counties in his
district in the administration OF the
affairs of sasg sffee and In the distri-
button Of Federal good roads equip
ment, and further it was thought by
many that he was factor in chang
ing the route of the Burlington high
way from Aberdeen, via Caledonia to
Columbus to the West Point route
which leaves Columbus entirely out of
it's route. This further opposition to
his election was increased by the visit
of Hon. j. o. Prude, his opponent,
last week and his platform "to return
to this county every dollar Of the
vehicle tax collected by the State un-
der the operation of the new law
which had aroused the people very
much. Heretofore this money all went
to each county to be employed by the
Supervisors as they saw fit. Under
the operation of the new vehicle law
it all now goes into the State treas
ury; half of it to be returned to each
county to be spent in that county un-
der the cooperation of the boards
of supervisors and the other half to
20 into district fund to be spent
within the district under the direction
of the district highway commissioner.
When it is known that this money
this year amount to approximately
seven thousand dollars and under the
increased tax made by the legislature
next year it may go to twenty thous-
and dollars and that only half of this
county would come back to the county,
the platform of Mr.. Prude brought
him support from all quarters.
Mr.. Robins went into the whole
road question very thoroughly; said
that he would see that every cent
paid by the county of Lowndes would
come back into the county "under the
provisions of the law" and said that
he knew nothing about the Burling-
ton Highway. His long experience in
the matter Of roads and his familiar
ity with the various laws in the State,
what you can do and what you can't
do, caused him to be invited to come
to the roads meeting in this city on
Friday morning, next, and he has
promised to be here and to help all
he can in solving the problem of saw
ing our roads.
The road commissioners job is one
of the biggest in the State with power
and authority increasing all the time
1t will be we'll for every citizen Of
the county to be present next Friday
to hear Mr.. Robins discuss the mat.
ter.