The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1935-01-24
cosr OF REPAIRING THE ROADS

mates that nearly two and quarter mill
lion dollars will be required to place the
highways in % western counties IN the
condition in which they were Is mounts
AGO. In other words, the highways nave
been allowed to deteriorate to that extent.
Repair work has not been Adequately
maintained and the State and county ROADS
are showing the inevitable consequences Oh
lack of maintenance.
That is certainly true in Henderson
county. 1t is estimated that S12S,S5O Will
be the cost of repairing Henderson county
roads. That is the largest sum estimated
for any western county, with the exception
of Pennsylvania, in which it is claimed
S19095O is needed for repairs. The fact
that Henderson and Pennsylvania lead the
other counties in these estimates, undenl-
ably indicates that the roads of the two
counties have been neglected to a greater
extent than the roads of the other twenty
counties that are listed in the western Sec
ton of the State.
The estimates of the Highway Depart
ment show that considerably more than
one-half of the total sum needed for road
repairs should be applied to the improve
ment of county highways. That estimate
will apply to Henderson county. Deteriora-
ton I'm the State highways, the great paved
roads running through this county, is hard
ly noticeable but the county roads are in
verY bad condition, according to reports
coming to The Times-News. e..
These reports of bad road conditions
havd been coming in throughout the win
ter, indicating that neglect of our roads has
been going on for months past. With the
coming of rough weather some of the
stretches of roads are almost impossible.
If conditions are not improved at once
there is going to be something in the ma
ture of revolt against the State controlled
highway system. Henderson county people
have shown large degree of forbearance
and a long-suffering spirit in dealing with
this condition, but their patience has about
reached the breaking point
II the State can't maintain the county
roads, let it turn the job back to the conn-
ty," is the generally expressed view of the
people, especially that part of the popula-
ton living in the country districts and
using the county roads every day.
Of course, the answer of the State High
way Department to all complaints is that
the Legislature in 1888 failed to provide
the money necessary to properly maintain
the roads. The estimate is that more than
six million dollars will be necessary to re
store the roads to the condition existing
on July 1, 1888. Perhaps that is true, but
it is somewhat difficult to reconcile this
statement with other statements coming
out of Raleigh in regard to the fat condi-
ton of the Highway Department treasury.
At one time we are told that the Highway
Department has so much cash it is going TO
be almost impossible to prevent the Legis-
latuSe from raiding its bank account to
support other departments of the State
government; and the next story that comes
out of Raleigh is to the effect that the
roads cannot be kept in repair because of
a shortage of funds.
Now, the fact is that the people of North
Carolina who ewn and operate the motor
vehicles in the State are bearing an almost
intolerable burden of taxation, in the form
of tag and gasoline taxes (not to mention
the pther taxes paid by them) and they
are Bearing this burden for the sole pur-
posesof building and maintaining roads
They expect-and they have the right to
expedite Highway Department to ade-
quatsly maintain the roads with the mil,
lions levied in taxes specifically for this
purpose. fthe Legislature is blocking this
action, the people should call on the Legis.
lature to get out of the way and cease be,
ing an obstruction to highway mainten,
ance, The people are, tired of seeing the
problem shunted back and forth betwee