Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1924-01-24
QUESTIONS ON GOOD
ROADS ANSWERED
BY COMMISSION
Commission Welcomes Suggestions
from All Parts of West Vir-
ginia

In these days of almost universal
automobile travel every man, wo-
man, and child has personal inter
est in the condition of the public
highways. This interest is intenified
by the fact that every user helps to
pay for the construction and main
tenance Of the roads. This payment
is sometimes direct and sometimes
indirect. On the state roads of West
Virginia, it is direct. The entire cost
of construction and main tenance OF
the state highway system is being
paid out of the money received for
automobile licenses, and the gasoline
tax. The money received from these
two sources is being used to pay the
Interest and principal Of the state
road bonds as we'll as administra-
ton and maintenance costs.
Those who do not travel in auto
mobiles, or use truck for hauling,
are benefited by good roads in many
other ways. Transportation is the
barometer of progress and prosper
ity. Motor traffic has become vi
tai to business and industry, and the
state, county, or city which is easily
accessible to this traffic has an almost
Incompatible advantage over those
not so fortunately situated. Good
roads are as essential to motor traffic
as air is to life.
Personal convenience and personal
pocketbook are two powerful incen-
tive for everybody to take close
and continuous interest in their
roads.
In this connection, the State Road
Commission wishes to call attention
to an editorial which recently APP
pearer in the Davis News, published
at Davis, Tucker county, which read
in part as follows:
Boys and girls who travel over
the new road can help. Watch the
road. Look out for the bad places.
Keep your eyes open for the spot
where the surface has travelled" or
worn off, showing the basic rock
beneath Look out for the uneven
ridge, the waving" which sometimes
occurs in oiled roads. AS soon as
you see any such spot, note carefully
exactly where it Isl. so that you can
describe the location accurately on
paper Then write letter to the
road official who has charge OF that
stretch of road and tell him about it.
''You may think that state road
official will not pay any attention to
your letter. If he is the right kind
of road official and most of them
are such--he will not only pay atten-
ton to it, but will write and thank
you for your good citizenship. Our
road officials are normally hardwork
ing, intelligent men, who want to re-
pair the road and keep it in con-
dition."
Editorials like this, the State
Road Commission says, are worth
great deal to the state, in actual
dollars and cents. While the state
has regular maintenance system,
it is not yet possible to give close
daily inspection to every mile of road
and such public cooperation as is adj
vocated by the Davis News will save
considerable money. In road main
tenance, that old adage, "a stitch in
time saves nine" has an especially
forceful application. Any break in
a paved surface retains moisture and
its edges are constantly being broken
down by raffic, with the result that,
unless it is discovered and repaired,
it very soon grows to large and ex-
pensive proportions.
As to paying attention to letters
about the road the. State Road
Commission is always pleased to re-
ceive such correspondence, and al
ways sends courteosu reply. Pub
lie interest in the roads of West Vir-
ginia, and public knowledge of what
is being done, is exactly what the