The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1922-04-07
Enthusiastic Good
Roads Meeting

through efforts that had been made by
the local Chamber of Commerce,
which proved to be one of the most
largely attended and enthusiastic
meetings that has been held here in
recent years. The circuit court room
was crowded, very largely with out
of-town good roads advocates, for the
purpose of putting their desires up to
the County Court. Nor has there been
held here for years more represent
ative body of foremost citizens from
different parts of the county, and each
and everyone was as full of "pepp for
better roads as ever an old-fashioned
political convention was for the diff
ferent candidates for office. II there
were any dissenters present, it was
impossible to locate them. II was one
of few meetings Of such a size in
which it appeared that all were of the
same mind.
G. B. Snider called the meeting to
order and briefly stated the purpose
for which it had been called. He then
introduced E. A. Rozier, who as
sumed charge Of the proceedings. Mr..
Rozier presented in considerable de-
tail plan for starting permanent
road work between this city and Bonne
Terre. This plan already had the en-
dorsement of the local Chamber of
Commerce, and briefly stated, is to
start this permanent road work with
a section Of road from Flat River to
Desloge, the idea being to begin at
| the center of population and wealth
of the county, and each year to add
to such highway as much as possible.
The plan as outlined by Mr. Rozier
Immediately met with hearty approx
al Of practically everyone present,
and rising vote failed to disclose
single dissenting vote. The spirit en-
gendered at the meeting was calcu-
lated to make all present feel that
something real and tangible was about
to be set in motion in st. Francois
county for permanent good roads--a
cement road from here to Bonne
Terre.
AT the close Of Mr.. Rozier's talk,
he called on j. H. Malugen, of Bonnie
Terre, who responded in happy and
convincing manner, showing to the
satisfaction Of all present that the
roads in this county had already been
entirely too long eglected--that
great wealth was- annually being re
moved from this county--that there
would sometime be an end 10 the enor-
nous mineral deposits that were once
here. After that-what? If hard
surface roads woxe u2t secured before
the mineral dep6siag began to grow
thin. then how could permanent hard
surface roads ever be secured. His
talk was most convincing and to the
point.
On motion, the following committee
was appointed to wait on the County
Court and secure their decision in the
matter soon as possible: G. B. Snider,
w. p. Giessing, J. H. Malugen, Don
Cameron. Carr Hartshorn, T.. L. Toll
leson and J. w. Highley. The meet
ing then adjourned.
The same afternoon the committee
met with the County Court Judges,
all of whom are also good roads advo-
Gates. They stated that they were do
ing everything in their power for
road improvement with the funds they
have to work with. which is about
$109 900 annually for road work, and
intimated that if they could see their
way to do so, they would be pleased
to divide the road money on a fifty
fifty basis, half to be used on the per-
manent hard surface road which the
meeting had endorsed. Before doing
that. however. they desired to get an
opinion from the State Highway Com
mission, with which they have been
in correspondence for some time, to
see what the county could expect from
that body. The purpose of the Coun-
| ty Judges is to get as much perma-
nent road work in the county as pos
sible, and at the earliest possible
time. Therefore they feel that il
they can work in conjunction with the
State Highway Commission, thereby
getting immediate State and Federal
aid, arrangements might then be per-
fected to complete the entire fifteen
miles Of road proposed at an early
date, which would be infinitely better
than building two to four, miles an
nually. IND
Another meeting was held yester-
/ day afternoon for the purpose of at
tempting to agree upon some plan for
| the starting of work on this pro-
posed highway with all possible speed.
The members of the committee ap-
peared before the County Court. and
there was also present Harry Griffith,
of DeSoto, Division Engineer of the
State Highway Commission. Mr..
Griffith stated that in his opinion q
new survey would have to be made
for the road from Flat River to Des-
!! lcSe in order To avoid the railway
crossing, as well as the heavy grades
along the present route. He sug-
! gested that he would survey the
route that would probably meet with
the approval Of the State Highway
Commission, and as soon as possible
another engineer could be sent to ap-
prove his survey. So it is not def
nitely decided as The Times goes to
press Just what will be done in the
. matter. q sstis'%