The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1924-04-19
DECLARES
|FOR'COOD ROADS;
|nAYSOLDBOARD
Permanent Hi g hways
Would Reduce Main
tenance By 100000

Because Jefferson county in the past
mas built many of its highways with
cHeap material, it now costs approx
nlately 100000 a year for repairs and
Maintenance, John A Lewis, candidate
| f9r the board of revenue, declared Fri
dsy.
s"By constructing permanent roads"
he said, this maintenance cost could
easily be decreased to less than $780,
D40. IF l am elected shall fight at
al times to prevent the building of any
fnpre second or third-class roads in
this county" A
EA Roads Too Narrow
q ! The few stretches of permanent high
xways which have been laid are too mar
|fbw, Mr.. Lewis asserted. He advocated
s20-foot roads on all important arteries
|sdf traffic, as against the 1S-foot roads
now in use.
Il Few people" hes continued, realize
1.-THE real highway situation confronting
JEFFERSON county. Many of our roads
are well-nigh impossible. Others have
| cfumbled almost Immediately after their
cempletion because they were built of
the cheapest kind of material, with an
| equally inferior foundation.
ss.sAs see it, We are spending too
/ much money on cheap roads and in
maintenance costs, and not enough
money on permanent roads. The only
4 Economical course is to construct high
4 ways that. will stand up under all sorts
Il bf conditions.
ut is true that people in all parts
3 Of the county are clamoring for road
! relief. But 1 say it would be better to
+ roads than II to rush inferior roads to
eampletion.'
~ Roads Leading Issue
Lewis declared the people of the
n county have reached the point where
Il they will demand halt in the expen-
dfure of their tax money for highways
q that fail to make good
He called permanent roads" the
leading issue in the campaign and said
& f.he wins a seat on the board he will
take the bull by the horns and fight
for road building program that will
meet the needs of the county,
Mr.. Lewis is the third candidate to
4 name permanent ronds' as the real
+ campaign issue. Wallace i. Hargrave
8 and S. r. Batson>have already detailed
8 their views on the subject and taken
stands for "high-type, permanent high.
s Ways"
4 The usual daily attendance of revenue
8 bOard candidates at the court house was
4 patssing Friday. as most of them got
4 an early start for Leeds where free
4 fof-all political meeting was held in the
Il evening. Court house corridors were
practically deserted for the first time
! Since the campaign began to warm UP
~ Lobby Headquarters
ALMOST, without exception. the candi
dates have been making their campaign
headquarters in the court house Hobbies
After another week, however, this rem
s. devious will be less popular and tn
q candidates win begin burning gasolin
On tours of the county.
81 Whereas a week ago it appeared tina
speeches would be scheduled for almos
asery night of the campaign, it, now
Indicated that there will be only fey
political meetings and that the candi
dates will content themselves with con
Quoting personal campaigns among tn
voters.
q A joint debate between w. B. Cope
land, member of the outgoing boarC
and representative of the Physician.
81 Civic league, may be staged in FEY
days, is learned. Copeland and som
q the doctors have been at wide. var
ance for years over finances OF til
Board of health, and the doctors recent
formed political club, making no seer,
3 Of their opposition to Copelands r.
election. Copeland now has challenge
the league to designate one of the
Al x.,.,aaheI To dehatn tho ;s,s,,ss .,.;+L