The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-08-21
TO THE LEGISLATURE

perhaps years to come. Therefore, the legislature is under a most solemn obligation to deliver to the people the sort of laws that will build Alabama {; the sort of laws that will deliver this state from the bondage of petty poli- tics; the sort of laws that will pave the way for the carrying out of con- structive acts of public improvement.
 And so, the attention of the leg islature is seriously called to the state highway situation. There are before the legislators two measures-one a good one and one a bad one-looking to reorganization of the state high way commission. One measure-the good one-contemplates an efficient commission of three men, chosen with out respect to political disivions and appointed for their executive and business ability. The other measure the bad one-provides for repre- sentation from each political district of Alabama, thus paving the way for more of the trading and political ma neuvering which have prevented any comprehensive and general highway program, and which will continue to block definite highway program in this state unless the legislature steps in and protects the people by estab- fishing 8 non-political board.
 More than nineteen million dollars of the public money has already been spent or appropriated to the building of state roads-two-fifth of the en- tire sum contemplated-and what have the people of Alabama in return for that expenditure? They have no sys- tenn of state highways, nor even tie beginning of such system, as con templated in the recent bond issue. There are numerous isolated stretches of roadway, leading nowhere, that have been built out of the fund-but is there any present plan for connect ing these stretches into a state sys- tenn, or any likelihood of ever having such a system? The legislature would do well to find out.
 If the legislature desires to inquire into the character of construction, as is its right and duty, it might we'll be- gin with the road now under con struction through Shelby county. A pertinent question would be why this road is not of concrete, instead of the very questionable covering of crushed stone with bitulithic. The legislature might inquire whether concrete road might not have been had for less than ten thousand dollars additional for the twenty-two miles through Shelby, and whether later stipulations by federal engineers have not brought the cost of the present road to total of more than the cost of concrete highway. The legislature might further inquire whether the type of road under con struction will not soon begin to de- teriorate, whereas a concrete road would last twenty years or more. The legislature might find out whether un- favorable tests on the type of road adopted were not in hand before It's adoption. The legislature might dis cover for itself whether the state high way department is building roads or playing politics as the main issue.
 The situation is serious one. The legislature might inquire, if it be So minded, whether it will be possible for the state adequately to patrol the dis united stretches of roadway it has constructed or planned. The legisla- ture would not be going beyond its duty if it should make inquiry as to the expense of maintenance of dis united and isolated stretches of high way as compared with the maintenance of connected systems of highway. The legislature might very we'll seek tech nical and impartial advice as to whether there is any practical defense of building isolated highways tha. lead nowhere as compared with the connected system joining county-seats and main cities as contemplated in the amendment to the state constitu- ton as approved by the people of Alabama.
 Let the legislature rise to a height sufficient to survey this whole field, to perceive the state of Alabama as unit, and not as an agglomerate of