Smyrna times., 1924-11-26
PLAN PROPOSED TO TURN DIRT
ROADS OVER TO HIGHWAY
ROADS LOOKED AFTER BY OVER
SEERS GET BETTER ATTENTION
One Body with One Overhead Expense
Could More Expeditely Look After
All Roads, Dirt and Concrete


Could More Expeditely Look After
All Roads, Dirt and Concrete
If the State Highway Commission
had complete charge of all roads and
highways in the state it would make
for a more economical, efficient and
less argumentative road building or
ganization than under the present
form, according to many groups of
farm organizations that are now dis
cussing the advisability of presenting
a bill, calling for such a change, to
the next General Assembly. AS con-
stituted at present, there is the State
Highway Commission and the Levy
Courts of each of the three counties,
who direct the road building. FIRE.
quently there is disagreement be-
tween the state commission and one
of the Levy courts, and then usually
something suffers. When A. r. Ben
son, chairman of the State Highway
Commission was asked what he
thought of such a move, Mr.. Benson
said it cOincided with his views. "Such
a consolidation, said Mr.. Benson,
"would cut the overhead, save the
state money make the roads uniform
and, in various ways, work out more
satisfactorily, l believe, than under
the present method.
How Dirt Roads Could Be Improved
"Take our dirt roads today. Many
of them if properly looked after and
above all, carefully drained, would
still be of great service to the state
and the community they serve. The
chief trouble with dirt road is that
it is seldom drained as it should be
and not attended to regularly. If a
road is properly drained, then the
freezing weather had little effect up
on it. The trouble usually occurs with
a dirt road when it has not been
drained" Referring directly to the
matter of one body to direct the road
building, General Benson said: "The
one point that stands out most prom
inently in the conduct and acts of the
State Highway Commission in the
past two years, has been the smooth
ness with which the department has
functioned. If this same smOothness
could be interjected into the dealings
between the state commission and the
other road building agencies the ar
rangement would be most satiSfac-
tory. "In allocating roads, the State
Highway department always cOnsid-
ers petitions for and against any par
ticular route and in making up its
decision has always looked ahead
That is the controversy between the
Levy Court of Kent county and the
State Highway Commission concern
ing the proposed road to Little Creek
Route Selected On Its Merits
"The State Commission decided il
favor of the north route solely on The
merits of the proposition. The nortl
route would give continuous trave
from the Maryland line to Littl
Greek. The land too, on the nOrtl
route is high enough so that Littl
Creek could expand. At the presen
time, with the oyster packing hous
there, for winter employment, and tn
canning house in the summer, Littl
Greeks chances of expansion are en-
cOuraging. "The south route whic
the Levy Court of Kent county favor
ed would break the continuity o
travel, compelling traffic to go thre
blocks out of the direct line an
through a section already cOngesteC
The building of a road over the mort
route would be more economical tina
the south route and because of tn
low marshy ground on the south rOaC
there is little chance of Little Cree
ever attempting to expand in that d
rection." Concerning the advisablit
of building more roads during tn
next two years, General Benson, sal
that was a matter the legislator
would decide. "What roads have bee
built in Delaware have proven the
worth and value by improving til
locality in which they are bull
Whether there are still many section
that ought to have roads will be d'
cided by the General Assembly" Gei
eral Benson referred to the splendi
record and report the Highway Con
mission will have to make to the les
slature. After having completed j
work, the commission has paid all
its obligations and will still ha,
about $150,000 in the treasury.