The Lexington advertiser., 1961-08-17
FROM EMERGENCY TO
ORGANIZATION

FROM EMERGENCY TO
ORGANIZATION
You've heard it said many
times.
IF only We had the money!"
etc. Il .
It's a common problem, whe-
ther for the individual, thu
family. or the highway COM
missioner. Prom the very be-
ginning, financing has been the
single most difficult hurdle for
the highway planner in Missis-
sippi It dictated the type roads
used a hundred years ago, and
Today it's the difference be
tween the highway system we
have and the ore we need.
Crisis IN Rin2nees
While money has been q
chronic problem since early
days of roadbuilding, the big
crisis for Mississippi came in
1923 when the federal govern
ment announced that the state
lacked requirements to qualify
for federal aid, and that no fur
ther allotments would be made
after June 80, 1929.
The announcement spelled
doom for the future of Missis-
sippi highways, since then, as
now. federal aid supported a
large share of the cost of new
highway construction in the
state. Governor Theodore Bilbo
quoted a government estimate
that the states 250,000 automo-
bile owners were losing 0,000,-
600 annually as a result of bad
roads, and asked for immediate
reorganization of the State
Highway Department in a
quickly summoned extraordina-
ry session of the legislature.
Legislative Study
The extra session resulted in
a creation of committee which
the Legislature directed to make
complete and thorough inves-
tigation of highway needs and
report back to the 1890 regular
session. The five-member COM
nittee spent the entire year of
1929 in the investigation.
The Stansel Act of 1880 set up
the basic framework for present
day highway administration in
Mississippi. This act was based
on report furnished by Horace
Stansel. head of the special in
vestigative committee that was
established by the 1929 Legisla-
ture. The Stansel Act provided
fer:
/. A primary road system
not to exceed 1000 miles and
to consist of roads previously
designated as the federal aid
system plus such additional
roads which would provide rea-
sonable connection between
county. seats, principal high
ways of adjoining states, other
places of 500 population or over,
and state institutions. The State
was made responsible for con-
struction and maintenance.
2. A secondary road system
with a maximum limit of 1000
miles which consisted of all
other highways previously de-
signated to be under state main
tenance, plus some specified ad-
ditions.
3. A three member Highway
Commission Zone from each
supreme court district) with
complete control and super
vision over the Highway Sys-
tenn. The Commission was tc
appoint secretary and director,
the director to employ chief
engineer and, engineers of con-
struction, maintenance anc
bridges.
Gave t'h e Commission
power of eminent domain ir
; securing highway right-of-way
b. Authorized construction
by the counties, and cities OF
links. of roads for incorporation
into the system with a provision
for their reimbursement after
} they had been absorbed into the
network.
More Demands Heard
Along came the early 30's
with the depression and grow
ing demand for improved pub
lie highways. Tourist sections
complained that travellers were
byfpassing Mississippi because
j. of poor highways.
Governor Hugh White, in his
1896 inaugural address, stated:
: my sole desire in this matter
is to see that We are gotten out
of the mud, dust and gravel as
quickly as possible" Taking ad-
vantage of emergency federal
aid legislation to embark or
its largest highway construction
program, system of state pri-
mary and secondary roads
touching all 50 counties wa: