The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-08-30
THE STATE HIGHWAYS

Dld Tor paving with concrete the Jefter- son county gap on the Montgomery high way between Shades Mountain and the Cahaba bridge. This bid was lower than for any other type of construction by ap- proximately three thousand dollars. It is again confirmation of The Age-Herald's position that competition among various road types serves to bring down the cost of paved highways. It is particularly grat- flying to note that Chairman Rogers is perceiving the truth of that principle. MT. Rogers once took the attitude that con crete roads were too expensive for this state to contemplate. But the figures of his own department do not bear him out. Concrete is not only very high type of construction with very low maintenance cost, but it is also influ- ential in breaking up what at one time threatened to be a costly monopoly in road building.
 Some statements made by Chairman Rogers in a recent interview in the Bir- mingham Evening News, however, and which received the approval of that jour nal, need to be corrected. For example, MT. Rogers said Jefferson has not fafed so badly at the hands of the highway commission. Thus far, Jefferson has got $1,182,00O of state and federal highway funds"
 In this MT. Rogers shows a marked disregard of the facts. What really hap pened was that Jefferson county voted a bond issue for half ofsthis sum and the federal government supplied the rest. If Jefferson county had not done this the state would have lost that sum of fed eral aid by the period of limitation. Fur ther.more, as MT. Rogers was careful not to bring out, the state, highway depart ment promised to reimburse Jefferson county for the sum thus advanced. But the state highway department, with the help of the legislature, went back on this promise, and Jefferson county was not reimbursed one cent, nor will it be, all though this county pays more than any other ten counties into the highway fund each year. If MT. Rogers cares to know the facts as recorded in his own office, he will find that, aside from the con- tracts let Monday, the state has contrib uted to Jefferson county to date the mag nificent sum of $12,500 as its share of the cost of the Cahaba bridge. That is not even interest on the sum MT. Rogers mentioned in his grand but meaningless gesture. ,-.,
 Then the chairman of the highway commission makes bold to say that bis department is making a "better record than almost any state in the Union has made, and certainly better than any Southern state" Let anybody ride over the state and find evidence of that achievement. He will wear out and shake to pieces several staunch cars be- fore he makes his discovery. It is true that the highway commission has more miles under contract or in prospect than ever before in it's history, but that is far from having equalled the records of other worthwhile states. The Shelby county road, to mention an example with which the chairman is perhaps familiar, has been under contract for more than two years and can be travelled today only with the greatest of discomfort. Progress is being made, but as yet it is nothing to by about. ....r.
 Furthermore, The Age -Herald's g. appre- hensions as to what would happen when the highway commission departed from the federal-aid routes are justified by the type of road selected to pass MT. Rogers home at Gainesville. This so-called pay ing is known as rawhide, and consists of a cold mix of asphalt with the surface material, forming veneer or scale which is not durable. The federal bureau does not endorse this type of paving in it's spec ifications, which should be proof enough of it's character. Yet it's cost is very near the cost of high-type paving. The de- fenseis made by the highway department that this type has proved good in North Carolina. This claim is incorrect in two pdFGlCuldfS. ne NOTCn OdFOilna type IS a "hot mix," and more durable. In the second place, the state engineer is said to be distinctly dubious of it's value, and the type will probablybe discontinued in that state. Governor Brandon, to be sure, must bear part of the responsibility for this selection, because no contract is valid without his endorsement. Perhaps, however, he thinks that Chairman Rogers deserves the punishment that will in- evitably come upon him in the form of reproach among his neighbors when this road begins to go to pieces, as it speedily will. Aside from the money thus wasted, however, the matter is of little impor- tance, for there is no doubt that a sue ceeding and more enlightened commis- sion will restore the route to the more direct and feasible course as specified by law. MT. Rogers influence is but a