The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1921-03-18
NEWLAND MAY GET AN
18 FOOT ROAD ANYHOW
Drainage Project to Make This Road Part Of State
Highway System May Be Put Thru
Spite of Opposition.


surface road to Elizabeth CITY
instead of a nine foot road, sir
spite of themselves. Develop
ments of the past few days indi-
cate a lively possibility of the
State Highway Commission tax
ing over the building of this road
and making it a part of the state
highway system.
In meantime the Pasquotank Highway
Commission goes right ahead laying a
nine foot road from the Methodist
Church in Newland straight toward
Elizabeth City. And T. L. Higgs, corin-
~ Highway Engineer says he will build
that nine foot road at the rate of a
right straight thru.
Also in meantime the people in New
land are raising a rumpus. They don't
want nine foot road. Some of them
say they would rather have no road
at all Some don't think they are be-
ing treated fairly; that the Highway
Commission has shown discrimination by
ordering a nine foot road thru the north
ern neck of the county after building
a fifteen foot road from Elizabeth City
to Weeksville.
Thirty or forty Newland citizens ap-
peared before the Pasquotank Highway
Commission in this city the other day
to voice their protest. And the Pas
quotank Highway Commission told them
that if Newland didn't want a nine foot
road, then Newland people themselves
were to blame for the fact that they
are getting only a nine foot road.
1t was the original intention of the
Pasquotank Highway Commission to
build a standard eighteen foot road from
Elizabeth City to the upper part of Pas
quotank county and make this road a
part of the state highway system, link
ing Pasquotank with the rest of the
state by a road thru Gates county. But
to get into Gates county and connect
Gates and all that territory with Pas
quotank it is necessary to build road
Tadmore Section of Pasquotank county
and Acorn Hill in Gates county.
Chairman Frank Page of the State
Highway Commission said the state
would lend its aid to the building of
the road from Elizabeth City to Tad
more and thru Tadmore to Acorn Hill.
only upon condition that a drainage dis
trict be organized to take care of the
swamp thru which the road would pass
developed. A lot of New
land folk swore by thunder that if they
drained that swamp their farms would
be ruined. The opponents of the drain |
age went to court and defeated the pro-
ject. Thereupon the State Highway |
Commission ceased to be interested in |
the road and the Pasquotank Highway
Commission decided that since Newland |
didn't want to get in on the state high |
way system, then a nine foot road should |
be good enough for Newland. 1t was |
50 ordered and the work of building |
that nine foot road is proceeding at a |
lively gait.
Cohoon Gets Busy.
But even while the nine foot road was
w
went up to Raleigh while the Legisla- /
5ure was in session and got a bill thru
that Legislature which enables the State
Highway Commissioners to make sur
vey and order a drainage district where
necessary to any state highway pro-
ject. regardless of whether the people
in the territory effected want such drain
lge or not. That bill passed both
Houses of the General Assembly and
became a law just few weeks ago.
Acting under the new law, Chairman
Page has already ordered a survey of
the proposed drainage district and State
Highway Engineers are expected to be
IN the job in a few days. When the
engineers have made their survey. and
commentators, then those in Newland
opposed to drainage will be given a day
in court
Mr.. Page Treasures.
y committee composed of A. B.
tioutz for the Pasquotank Highway
'ommission, Taylor Grandy and W. l..
rohoon for the Chamber of Commerce
and John T. Williams, representing the
Newlanders, went to Raleigh this week
nd talked the matter over with both
Lairman Page and Governor Morrison.
Nr. Page reiterated his previously ex-
rrSsed approval of making this New
and road part of the state highway
:! <tem, but would not make formal
"ommendation until the new Highway
onmission recently named by Cover
Dor Morrison is organized the first of
April
Mr.. Page advises the. Pasquotank
Highway Commission to proceed with
TIE work of building nine foot road
AID if the desired drainage project is
and the state takes over the
building of the road, then the state Will
"'dcn so much of the nine foot road
as will have been built. It isn't much
81 job widening a hard surface road
Il you have the funds to work with.
Governor Morrison assured the COM
ihIttee from Elizabeth City that he ia
Fored state aid for the Newland road