Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1923-05-30
THE RIGHT AGENCY
TO BUILD GOOD ROADS.

~ BUILD GOOD EOADo.
If Georgia is ever to have a
system of hardsurface roads,
running north and south, and
east and west, they must be built
under the supervision and PLAN
ming Of state highway depart
ment.
Individual counties, working
Independently, will never provide
the state with anything other
than a patchwork of roads lead
ing nowhere in general.
The value to the STATE comes
from CONTINUOUS hard sur
surface roads, crossing and re-
crossing the state. These con-
tinuous roads can only be Sc
cured through state and federal
aid.
The big counties-the rich
counties - the populous coun-
ties-of the state can take care
of themselves. The small country
counties must rely on the state
and federal aid and this aid can
only come by reason Of a state
system.
The greatest criticism of the
state highway department seems
to be coming from those small
counties which have most tg gain
and least to lose.
The most foolish statement
heard during the sessions of the
county commissioners in Ameri-
Gus was made in the hotel lob
bies BY men from small counties,
when they stated that THE Big
Counties are hogging it all.
Prejudice, loose criticism, and
envy will meyer buiida . state
system of roads, Faith, censtrut
tive criticism and patience viii
bring to the state in a very few
years a system of highways that
will pull Georgia out of the mud
and restore her to her place
among progressive states Of the
southeast
The Times-Recorder has the
utmost faith in the honesty and
ability of the chairman of the
state highway department, John
Holder, and of his right-hand as
sistant, Warren Neal, chief en-
gineer.
The department is not perfect;
what human agency is? Its over
head may be,too high. That ques-
ton we are not competent to
pass on. But this we do most ar
IDENTIFY believe, knowing these two
able Georgians as we do-that if
given half a chance they will
build a system of highways over
the state equal to any other
state and at a cost to the people
no greater than is costing other
states for highways of the same
type. .
A few days ago the Atlanta
Constitution discussed this prob
lem in very able editorial deal
ing with attacks upon the High
way Department now being made
by Representative McMichael, of
Marion county. Illustrating the
fallacy of Representative Nc
Michaeps position toward the
states highways, The Constitution
declares that "The fact is, how
ever good may be the intentions
of the member from Marion,
there was never more fallacious
proposition made by any one who
claims to be friend of highway
development, nor one that is more
destructive to the very plan Of
statewide highway system"
Continuing, The Constitution
directs attention to specific in
justice that would be worked up
on small counties should the Me
Michael scheme of distributing
state road funds among the
the various counties be adopted.
On this phase of the issue The
Constitution wisely observes
that:
In the first place, the alIo-
cation of the state road funds
to counties as proposed, will
mean that the larger counties
that have already built their
various trunk line links viii get
the bulk of such funds-the very
thing that is sought to avoid.
"To illustrate, if Fulton coun-
ty has already constructed high
class dependable surfacing on
every road that enters into a
state wide thoroughfare entering
or passing through Fulton coun-
ty, with the largest amount OF
road mileage in the state, re