The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-11-27
ROAD CoNTRACT AWARDED


 The state highway commission at meeting today awarded the con tract for GOA miles of gravel road in Franklin county between Phil Campbell and Russellville. The con tract for road work went to Scott, Chambers & Company of West Point, Ga, for s71, 1,234.SS, and for bridge work to w. NJ. Thompson & Com pany of Fayette, s1I66S.20 Repre- sentatives Travis Williams of Frank lin county appeared before the com mission to urge the advisability of slight change in routing of what is known as the Lower route, which, it Is said, would avoid condemnation proceedings necessary to secure a right of way along the existing route. The contract was awarded with the understanding that the location may be revised as requested if federal consent is secured.
 Representative c. W. Ashcraft of Lauderdale appeared to request con- struction of a bridge over the Lee highway on Shoal creek, and raising of a bridge over the same stream on the Jackson highway, this action be- ing necessited by backwater from Wilsom Dam, it was said. The com mission agreed to build the sub structure of the Lee highway bridge, and to raise the Jackson highway
 
 bear half the cost.
 Members of the Montgomery coun- ty board of revenue appeared before the commission with a request for refund of approximately sS0,000 spent by the county in conjunction with the state and federal governments in building the Judkins ferry bridge over the Taliapoosa and the Caton.a creek bridge.
 This request was denied. it being stated that the refund cannot be made under the law. The commission in timated a willingness to comply with a request that the state take over for maintenance certain Montgomery county roads on the federal aid seven per cent system, and this matter will be considered further.
 Plant Sale Permitted.
 Sale of the electric lighting plant at Calera to the Alabama Power company was permitted when the Alabama public service commission. meeting Monday morning. approved the petition of Mrs Fannie Stein and the Alabama Cooperage company the vendors, to be allowed to transfer the property. The power company, it is understood. has promised to i'm prove and enlarge the plant and con- meet it with it's distribution system. It is also understood that the renovated plant, in addition to light ing, will supply several large indus trial plants with power.
 The commission. at the request of the attorney for the company, Arm strong Corey, postponed for consider ation to January 7. 1924, the petition of the People Hydroelectrc com pany. This is a petition for water power development on the Coosa lrit lt mol
 Petition of the Alabama Power company for the same purpose was also postponed to the same date. This last petition was filed some weeks ago. but the commission post poned it indefinitely at the request of the power company.
 The petition of the Alabama Power company to be allowed to construct an additional generating unit and other facilities at its Warrior reser- Voir plant in Walker county was taken under consideration by the commission,
 Drainage Is Pushed.
 Successful meetings were held last week at Guntersville and Hartseile for the purpose of forming drainage districts, J. NJ. Moore, commissioner of agriculture. stated Monday morn ing. MT Moore has just retur1ed from trip to north Alabama for the purpose of furthering the interest in drainage matters.
 At GuntersVille, he said. a meeting was held Friday in the court house. attended by a large crowd. At this meeting it was decided to name the drainage district the Browns creek drainage district and to drain 6,0oO acres of land. Steps were taken to circulate a petition to the probate court for the appointment of a drain- age engineer to make a survey of the land. F. B. Albert, president of the First National bank of Guntersville. is the leader in the organization of drainage. work.
 At meeting in Hartselle, there was discussed the proposition to drain 10000 acres of overflow land. This project is to be called the Dan vile drainage district of Morgan county. A large percentage of the land affected has been cleared. but is wet and its condition affects the health of the community.
 At Albertville. MT. Moore says he visited the farm bureau warehouse. which embodies the most u,.-to-date ideas in cotton warehouse archi-