The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1943-06-10

In announcing my candidacy Tor reelection as high
Mississippi l do so with the full realization of the ire
mendous problems confronting this Department.
Four years ago the good people of this District elect
ed me as their Highway Commissioner for a full term by
an overwhelming vote over two opponents in the first
primary. l am deeply grateful for that expression of con-
fidence and for the opportunity to serve in this capacity.
l believe the work Of the employees of this District, in
GLIDING the Commissioner, has been satisfactory to the
years ago was stopped by the defense program of this
Nation. Therefore, we were unable to complete many Of
the projects which we had started or which we had on
our program. We know that winning the war must
come first. This department is doing its full share in that
great effort.
From the ranks of the employees of the Highway
Department in this District approximately one hundred
men have gone directly into the armed services and are
now scattered all over the world. Many more of these
employees went into defenes industries and some of these
have since gone into military service. The War Depart
ment asked US to conserve man-power, equipment and
materials and to postpone all work not absolutely neces-
sary. We have done this and at the same time we have
kept the highways open for war transportation day and
night.
The only construction work now permitted by the
War Department and the War Production Board is on
those projects deemed essential to the wal effort, These
are access roads and the projects on the military stra-
gc network. All other work has been suspended for the
duration of the war.
We are also confronted with the problem of protect
ing and preserving the tremendous investment of the peo-
pie of this District in highways. This District alone has
an investment of approximately fifty million dollars in
highways which have been built by and for the people of
this District and State. All fair minded people admit that
we have the finest system OF roads of any southern state,
if not in the Nation. These new highways have been built
at a cost far below that of any other state in the Nation.
Bonds have been issued to pay for them and our job is to
protect this investment in every way possible. We have
only a limited number of trained engineers, mechanics,
machinemen, truck drivers and helpers and other en-
ployees who know how to maintain these roads properly.
These men cannot be replaced now. We find it increas-
ingly difficult to keep men on tht job because of the COM
petition from other sources. We know that if we lost
these trained men that they could not be replaced for the
duration of the war. The state must protect it's invest
ment and proper maintenance is the only safeguard.
We have built up a good reserve of money during
the last two or three years by exercising good business
judgment, reducing expenditures wherever possible and
operating with reduced personnel. That reserve insures
adequate maintenance of the states highway invest
ment for the balance of this year and a portion of next
years regardless of gasoline rationng. We can fall back
on our reserve to make up any deficiency in gasoline
revenues. Certainly the man responsible for creating
this reserve can spend it more wisely than someone who
knows absolutely nothing about the financial structure
of the Highway Department.
We have built and maintained your highways and in
so doing have spent many millions of dollars and yet
there is no question as to how any money was spent. 1t
is a well known fact that Mississippi has received more
for it's highway dollar than any other state in the Nation
For this fine record we express our appreciation and give
full credit to the employees of this Department who have
the interest of the State at heart and who have given
full measure of their time and effort.
Our nation is at war and the people have neither the
time nor the inclination for a long political campaign. |
believe that you want us to do our job first. | ask you
to investigate the record / have made and upon the basis
of your findings, / submit my candidacy for reelection.
/ give you the same pledge as four years ago that my
time, energy and efforts will be dedicated fully to this
public service. 1t is upon the basis of performance rather
than promises that / ask for your continued support.
s~pectfuly submitted, SIDNEY T. ROEBUCK