Henderson daily dispatch. (Henderson, N.C.) 1914-1995, 1938-07-23
BY A. j. NJ AXWELL

DONE"
The lower picture on the right
shows a 16-foot bridge. There are a
they are misfit in our present sys-
tenn. Like Judge Risdon Tyler Ben
nett's description of the turkey as an
inconvenient' sized bird-it's little
too large for one and not large
enough for two Highways are crowd
ed with vehicles of eight feet width.
OF course two of these vehicles can
not possibly pass on 16 TT. bridge. 1t
is a grave hazard for an ordinary
motor car to pass one of them on
these narrow bridges. On narrow 16
foot road you can slow down and
take the rutted shoulder to pass, but
on the bridge there is no leeway They
are a distinct hazard to traffic. 8"
A great deal of highway improve
ment is under way. There has been
very notable and much needed i'm
provement in secondary roads the last
year. Some progress has been made In
eliminating dangerous curves by re-
location, and in resurfacing worn sur
faces, and some new construction.
| The plea that I am making is for
more comprehensive and aggres-
sive program of highway improve
ment with particular reference to
safety. I am convinced that our safe
| ty program is in large part a mat
| ter of spending money for improve
| ment of the physical condition of
| highways. I am convinced that with
| substitution of hard surfaced should
ers for dirt shouldres; with more dis
tinctive marking of real danger points
with reconstruction of sharp flat
curves and narrow bridges; with d
reasonable top speed limit and an
adequate highway patrol, highway ac-
cidents can and should be cut In half.
Delay accentuates the hazard and
the difficulties. Motor vehicle regis
tration in the State increased fifty per
cent in the five year period 1882 to
1887. or from three hundred ninety
seven thousand in 80 to five hundred
eighty-six thousand in 81. It will run
over six hundred thousand this year.
To break this figure down to an I'M
derstandable basis it means an in
crease of an average of two thousand
motor vehicles per county in five
wears. The strain on our highways is
rapidly increasing.
Highway revenue is of course in
creasing proportionately. realiza-
ton of the imperative needs of this
situation has impelled me to say not
only that all available revenue should
be spent to carry out such a program
of highway improvement, but that if
ic, i11ea "a
| for this program the vital necessity
for it would justify a temporary slow
ing up in reduction of State debt,
when the need is SO great and bonds
can he@ sold at little more than half
| the rate of interest on outstanding
| bonds awe have reduced the State
| debt fifty million dollars out of de-
preston revenue. Our amended con-
stitution fortunately puts a strict
| limitation on the use of State credit
But 1t does permit a use of credit not
exceeding. two-thirds of amount by
which it's debt was reduced in the
previous bi-ennium. With increasing
revenue it may not be necessary to
use even this limited credit. All am
laying is that if it is necessary to car
nv, out these improvements the end
ustifies the means. More than thirty
per cent of our highway revenue is
eor debt service, and two-thirds of
hat for debt retirement 1t is highly
desirable to extinguish this debt But
it is more important that our high
way system be maintained adequate
for the increasing needs than that the
full measure of debt reduction be
maintained.
A recent picture showed Mr.. Hit
Ter in the fanciful pose of laying the
corner stone in the beginning of a
new Berlin; planned to- meet the traf-