The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1934-04-03
SCHOOLS AND ROADS

SCHOOLS AND ROADS .....
John Ewbank, former member of the
Legislature and known in this county and
the State as friend of education and of
the good roads program, sees clearly that
the maintenance of roads and schools con-
stitutes North Carolina outstanding prob
lem for the present. AS one of the leading
good roads boosters and supporters Of
highway building for more than a quarter
of century, Mr.. Ewbank has a record for
supporting the road program which stands
unassailed; but, he is opposed to a course
which will be detrimental to the public
schools, and does not want to continue I'M
necessary support of the highway pro-
gram at the expense of public education.
IF compelled to choose between improved
roads and education, Mr.. Ewbank would
choose education; but we believe he agrees
with the Tfmes-News that North Carolina
can maintain both schools and roads if a
eommon-sense course is, adopted. ..-.
The facts of present conditions are that
North Carolina has trimmed the school
system to the limit and has been more lib
eral with the, highways department than
with the school system. Mr.. Ewbank has
pointed out the fact that appropriations
for the roads top appropriations for the
schools by several million dollars and that
employees of the highway department are
better paid than. North Carolina school
teachers. .'~.,.s-... ..'.~'.-'r. .'.' 70 g.
Under present conditions the reasonable
course with the highway department is to
hold down construction of hard-top roads,
maintain the highways already construct
ed, and keep the other classes of roads IN
repair. 1t is a time for practicirg economy
in the highway department as we'll as IN
the school system. Of course there are COR
tinuous and inSistent calls for the hard sur
facing of more mileage; and the answer to
this demand is that under present condi-
tons this class of road work must await a
more favorable time sfa'. r ..n.' .
The people of the State do not want to
tear down the highway system. neglect the
roads, or lose the fruits of their immense
investment in highways; and the same may
be said of the school system Why break
down the school system and lose the fruits
of our immense investment in education
and of the educational efforts of the past
thirty years? "" q. '' ~
The school system has been trimmed to
the limit. Beginning at once every possible
effort should be made to restore the sys-'
TEN to something like it's former status.
This with particular reference to the sala-
ries of teachers. Ways and means can be
found to maintain the road system and the
schools, but not by'a contest between the
highway department and its hackers and
the school system and its ffiends!i Aisaiie'
and eomnon-sense consideration sof the
needs of both departments and of the.
States resources for maintaining them,
and reasonable attitude on fine part of
the friends of each department wifi aft ord
the way out of present difficulties" III '"r
Road building and improvement has
been stressed more than educ&sion IN the
past three or four years, and to the break
ing down of the school systeni.2 This. is 4
mistaken and losing policy. AS John iEw-'
bank says, a people stepped in 7gtiora nee
will be able to- make little use Of al great
road system; but an educated people viii
find way to improve bad roads and con-
struct great system of highways to meet
their. needs. ~ry -