The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1937-03-25
A GOOD EXCUSE FOR
BAD ROADS

The secondary roads in AShe are bad, but
the subject of more taxes is worse; however, it
seems that according to the cold hard facts of
lack of cash, we cannot expect big things from
the state toward secondary road improvement
anytime soon and with our own unpaid road
bonds, Ashe county is in position even worse
than the state when it comes to building roads.
We quote from an editorial clipped from the
Charlotte Observer which explains the situation
under the heading of:
Bad Outlook For Good Roads
The Mecklenburg delegation that went to
Raleigh to consult the State Highway Commits
sion on the condition of the secondary roads of
the county got the answer and information
which might have been expected
THE STATE HAS NO MONEY WITH
WHICH TO BRING THESE ROADS INTO
SATISFACTORY CONDITION.
Chairman Waynick put the blame for this
status of the highway departments treasury
upon the shoulders of the Legislature for it's act
of diversion of road funds to general govern
mental purposes to the tune of around 45OO-
900 if such diversion becomes necessary by the
bottom dropping out of the barrel of the general
funds.
That, at least, may be one reasonable reason
that the State is in no shape to repair these Sec
ondary roads.
But it is not the only reason.
The main difficulty is that the State HAS
TAKEN OVER TOO MANY OF THESE
SECONDARY ROADS.
Under the procedure by which the counties
turned these highways over to the state govern
ment, around $1,000 miles of lateral and auxili-
airy roads were acquired.
Some of them should never have been ac-
cepted in the first place.
They are not of sufficient importance to the
public to make their maintenance by the State,
acting for the whole of the public, justifiable.
In order to take proper care of this full mile
age of roads now under State supervision, an
official within the administration at Raleigh
estimated the other day that billion dollars
would be required.
Well of course billion dollars is out of
reach of state, like North Carolina even for
Nsuch worthy purpose as this. =
The present Legislature will also consider a
measure introduced by Senator Halstead of
Camden county by which that body would au-
thorize the issuance of $25,O00,000 for improve
ment of these secondary roads alone.
There is no hope for the passage of that
measure
The Legislature does not feel that with the
present heavy commitments of the State in the
form of bonds, it would be defensible in piling
up that load
And, even So were $25 600, 900 to be spent on
these dirt roads, it would be insufficient more
than to scratch the surface of the actual needs
What's to be done about the sorry situation
then?
Manifestly, it would appear that, first of ALL
our entire highway system should be re-classi-
fled into three or four divisions as to the char
acter of all the roads now under State control
and supervision.
The main laterals should be put in the first
category; the more important of the secondaries
into the second, and these hardsurfaced as soon
as they be reached with funds available;
the third society of highways should be those of
yet lesser Importance to the general public and
these, perhaps, sandclayed if the character of
traffic they bear is not especially torturous, and
the fourth classification should be those that
will be turned back to the counties because of
their purely local and provincial usage.
1t would appear, taking the conditions of the
state highway departments treasury as these
are being declared by the administration, if the
individual counties want some of their less i'm
portant dirt roads put in better condition, they,
THE COUNTIES, WILL BE OBLIGED TO
FOOT THE BILL.
A sort of supplementary tax will be neces-
sary just as some local units of government in
the State are supplementing the States allot-