The coastland times with which is combined the pilot and herald of Belhaven and Swan Quarter. [volume] (Manteo, N.C.) 1959-1973, 1960-01-22
HIGHW AY ISSUES
CONFUSED; PEOPLE
VERSUS ENGINEERS
Says Attempts To Make Political
Capital Pointed In The
Wrong Direction
BY FLOYD WOLFE

by FLUID WILLIE
RALEIGH. - Political specula.
ton has grown with the passing
of the first weeks of this momen-
tous year of 1860 and most oserv-
ers agree that the highway COM
mission is likely to swell into an is
sue of the campaign for Governor
AS in all campaigns, candidates
pick up those things which reach
into the daily life of most people,
and discussion is precipitated in Or
der that the inspiring candidate
may have an opportunity to ex-
press sentiment that he hopes will
appeal to most voters.
Like farmers and the teachers,
roads will always be used for po-
litical purposes until everyone has
all the roads he wishes,-if that
were possible. But it's not likely,
for the next thing would be a plea
that everyone have a hardsurface
driveway to his garage. Is the
Scott campaign, great support was
aroused in the hope that country
roads would get attention, and for
tunately great strides We're made
in this program. Progress has con-
tinued to be made. but there was
wide spread COMPLAINT to follow,
that District Highway commits
sioners were susceptible to local
politicians and most-needed roads
didn't always get first considera-
ton.
During the Hodges administra-
ton a change has been effected
whereby road ALLEGATIONS are on
a new formula and which is now
being followed. More consideration
for improvement of rural roads is
given on the basis of need, and
some of factors determining this
need come from several points, in
Guiding number of families, stores,
etc, on the road, the use of it by
school buses, and mail carriers and
other day by day needs.
But this formula is not in accord
with the wishes of some local po-
liticians and a howl went up, even
before the plan could be tried out,
that the Governor was taking the
highway system too far from the
people. 1t was argued that enc
had to go to the trouble and ex-
pense entailed in a trip to Raleigh,
or the enlisting of powerful adj
yocate anyway.
Proponents of the new plan con-
tended it were better to have road
matters decided by an unbiased
authority than by some local poll
tcian with axes of his own to
grind. Few there are who, when
cornered, can point out tangible
instances to prove the new system
is not better than the old. People
who recall the past IS years of
highway history remind US that
periodically there arises clamor
for changes, and when changes are
made, others Immediately object.
A few people have now come to
believe that the real trouble with
the highway system, and not the
manner in which it is directed from
Raleigh, should be titled "The
people VS.. highway engineers" 1t
is a widely accepted belief that
more handicaps in the way of get
ting road improvements were set
up by engineers who were quick to
say "there isn't enough money" or
"the plan is impractical and won't
work." In fact, many eastern citi-
zens say that some major road and
bridge Improvement sought during
the past 80 years has been vigor-
ously opposed by engineering aides,
who undoubted took their cue from
Raleigh. For in Raleigh, it is re-
corded that the Chief Engineer
himself rushed into print to throw
cold water on the movement for
Albemarle Sound bridge, when no.
body had asked his opinion, know
ing his disposition previously. It is
a fact that barely any engineers
have advocated building the larger
bridges that have been obtained
after long struggle, and all of
these essential projects have come
because interested Governors and
other citizens has been convinced
they will pay off in the develop
ment and economic profit of the
area where they are located.
While there has been a lot of i'm
provement in recent years to off
set this complaint, the commission
has still got to live down the dis
satisfaction created during the
years when highway commissioners