Established 1899
Result of Congressional Conven
tions.
Democratic congressional con
ventions were held yesterday in
the third, fourth, eighth and
n ; n th districts. The sixth dis
trict is yet to act. The resuit of
the ninth district convention, ac
cording to the Charlotte Obser
ver, is as follows;
The ninth district Democratic
convention in session here today
aenominated Edwin Yates Webb
of Shelby to suc?e?d himself in
Congress for the sixth time.
E. Randolph Pre-ton was
named for district T ctor and
G Ellis Gardner of Yancey was
endorsed as elector for the Stnte I
at large.
The following delegates were j
elected to the Baltimore conven-!
tion with a half vote each: Ch'ne'
Baenizer, Charlotte; W. A. Self,:
Hickory; Guy V. Robert*, ,r-!
shall, and W. C. Ervin, M > gan
ton.
The delegation is uninstruct
ed as regarding presidential
preference, I
In accepting the nomination 1
Mr. Webb made a speech last- 1
ing about forty minutes. Hei
spokt on the record of the pr-s j
ent Congrers and scored Roose-!
velt and Taft. He was followed
by Ellis Gardner and E. R. Pres
ton, who made a few red-hot re
marks. The convention was
ver\ harmonious and each coun
ty sent a large and enthusiastic
delegation.
0000 OOOOOOOOCO JOOO DOOO 0000
1 BUSINESS LOCALS
OOOGOOOC 0000 OOOOOOCXDOO 0000 j
THE NICEST stair carpet you
have seen.
Bowles & Martin.
WANTED: —Men and boys to
learn Automobile business. Good
position for competent men. A 1
:o want agents for Pullman cars.
Carolina Auto School,
Charlotte, N. C
PICTURES! the nicest you
have seen and easels also,
Bowles & Martin.
Autos for hire. Anywhere
you want to go.
C. T. Morrison.
'Phone No. 145.
THINK of a roll foot bed 7 ft.
high, bevel plate mirror 22x28
on dresser, wash stand to match
all for $23.00.
Bowles & Martin.
FOR SALE— IS acres 2 1-2
miles northeast of Hickory. Fine j
spring. Small orchard. Apply to
Mrs. Adly Huffman, Hickory,
N. C. 6 6 4t
A FEW porch rockers left the
$2.50 kind for $2.00 while they
last. -
Bowles & Martin.
FOR SALE—IO acres 2 1-3
miles from depot, on Catawba
Springs road.
4-18-tf. Box 232.
THE NEWEST thing out in
umbrella stands.
Bowles & Martin.
WANTED-To buy from the
farmer cabbage, garden peas,
onions and other vegetables.
Call and see us. Merchants
Provision Co.
Furnished room for rent, close
in. Apply to Box 334, 5-2-tf.
"THE NEW rugs and druggetts
are beauties.
Bowles & Martin.
See H. H, Townsend at the old
Ous Hahn place for fresh fish
direct from Nortolk. You will
find these fish something extra.
H. H. Townsend has bought
the old Gus Hahn eating place
and is now serving nice luncnes
as follows: Soup and crackers sc,'
fried fish rolls 5c and 10c, chicken
and rolls 5c and 10c.
A FEW hammocks left at the
special price.
Bowles & Martin.
FOR SALE-Pure bred Duroc
•Jersey Pigs. H. L. Seitz,
5-2i-4t. Hickory. N. C. R. 1.
FOR SALE—A good 5-room
coinage, works complete.
Located in good neighborhood,
n " block from public square &
!>i'>cks from 5 of our churches
& our Graded School.
J. T. JOHNSON.
H:'o-lsst. Hickory N. C.
f> 23-4tf.
WANTED—Take a thirty-day
course in our sample rooms,
enter the cotton business.
i;iigh salaried positions. Write
tor endorsements. Carolina Cot
ton Schools, Dept. X, 31 East
r eurth street, Charlotte, N. C.
THE HICKORY DEMOCRAT
+ +
+ LOCAL AND PERSONAL. +
+ |.
Mr. Roddey- T. Ingold is now
living in Texarkana, Ark.-Tex.
The chains and posts that have
been anound Park Place have been
removed.
Mrs. R. P. Bowles, of Durant
Okla., is visiting relatives in the
city.
Mr. Richard Erwing, of At
lanta, G i., spent several days in
town th s week.
Miss Ann e Flamagan, of
Charlotte, is visitin » her sister,
Mrs Jo*? T yior.
Mr. Harold Shuford returned
from the University of Nort'i
Carolina Wednesday.
Miss Dora Williams has re
turned from Georgia, where she
spent two weeks at her home.
Mr. George E. Craig, of this
city and Mr. W. L, Mackie,
of Caldwell, spent Sunday at Ca
tawba.
Miss Upchurch, the efficient
saleslady of Tompson-West Co.,
spent Sanday with her parents in
Raleigh.
United States Senator George
S. Nixon of Nevada die.l at 10
o'clock last night in a Washing
ton hospital.
Rev. Dr. W. A. Dmton an i
Prof. A. P. Whisenhunt have
both recently bought fine farms
in Long View.
Mr. John Lowe has gone to
Detroit to work in one of the
biggest axel factories in the
United States.
Mr. Clarence Whitener, who
recently underwent an operation
at Statesville for appendicitis, is
improving rapidly.
Miss Clara Bowles is spending
a few days in Gastonia as a dele
gate from the M. E. church to
the convention there.
Theodore Roosevelt yesterday
in the South Dakata primary
carried the state for president
by a majority of 15,000.
Announcement was made last
Sunday of a revival meeting at
the First Methodist church on the
third Sunday in this month.
Miss Verlie Winkler, of Char
lotte, spent Tuesday in the city
en-route to her home in Boone,
where she will spend the sum
mer.
F. D. Meadows and family, of
Poors Knob, Wilkes county, vis
ited his brother-in-law, M . J
W. Bowles, a few days iast week
Miss Bess Truxal left Wed-
Mrs. Ellis, of Krfhxville, is
visiting her daughter, Mrs. Mott
and the latter will accompany her
mother home for a visit next
week.
Miss Elizabeth Abernethy will
have her fifteenth birthday par
ty Saturday afternoon at 4:30,
and a number of her little
friends will have a good time.
Woodmen of the World erect
ed a monument to the late Edgar
Bumgardner at Newton Sun
day. The Hickory camp attend
ed. Mr. W. C. Feimster making
an address and Miss Bertha
Bradshaw reciting. •
Born to Mr. and Mrs. J. L.
Cilley a girl. Mrs. Cilley selects
the name Mary for the little vis
itor though Mr. Cilley preferred
the name of a flower, either
Crimson Ramble, Deadly Night
Shade or Night Blooming Ser
ious.
A good delegation of both J
Wilson and Underwood men at
tended the State Convention at
Raleigh, June 6, among others
being Judge Councill, Messrs
W. A. Self, Z. B. Buchannan,
D. H. Russell, Clarence White
ner, W. J. Shuford. Newton al
so sent a good delegation.
The Presbyterian Sunday
school picnic was held as usual in
the Shuford 'woods near Ex-
Sheriff Boyd's home Tuesday.
Pastor Garth and Supt. Geo. W.
Hall looked carefully after the
children's pleasures, chief of
which was wading in the branch.
The dinner was sufficient for two
picnics. The acorn banks were
broken for missionary money and
$25. was the aggregate.
Attention is called to the half
page ad of the Southern Auction
and Realty Co. of Greensboro,
which is advertising the auction
sale of valuable lots at Conover
on Tuesday, June 11. Conover is
one of the coming towns of Ca
tawba county, and this sale of
fers a good chance for invest
ment. Mr. Andrews, the mana
ger of the Realty company, is
one of the ablest real estate men
in the State, and his judgement
on a good thing in real , estate is
well worth taking
HICKORY, N. C., THURSDAY. JUNE,6 1912
Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Tharp, of
Elkin. were the guests of Mrs. J.
W. Bowles for .a few days last
week.
The Craig Special passed
th ough yesterday at 1 o'clock
as the second section of No. 22.
It was loaded with Buncombe
rooters for the next Governor.
nesday of last week for her home
in Dußoes, Pa., after having
spent three months with her
sister, Mrs. Isaac Rich of this
city. Mrs. Truxall made many
friends during her stay in Hick
ory who regretted to see her
leave.
_Among the scores of bidders
for the Hickory township road
bonds was the First National
Bank of this city, which offered
to take the entire issue of $50,-
000 at a premium of 101, that is
a $lO premium on every SI,OOO
bond. The fact that a home
institution bid for the bonds
shows the strength of the bank
as well as confidence in the in
tegrity of the township. The
day is gone when local banks
feared to invest in home enter
prises.
A number of new books have
been orddered for the Hickory li
brary. The ladies of the town
are planning to give during the
summer a series of entertain
ments foi the benefit of the li
brary. Several current maga
zines have been placed in the
reading room of the library, and
everybody is invited to make use
of the reading room. The libra
ry is open every afternoon from
4 to 6 o'clock, and the librarian
will be glad to assist you in se
lecting interesting and helpful
reading matter.
J. C. Martin is the name of a
new furniture house in this city.
The stand will be in the same
building with the Lanier Mer
cantile Co. Mr. Martin, who re
cently severed his connection
with the Bowles & Martin Fur
niture Co., just returned
from High Point where he made
large purchases. He has three
car loads of furniture on the way
here, and next week will be pre
pared to serve his friends and
the public in anything in the gen
eral house furnishing line, in
cluding carpets, rugs, etc. The
Democrat wishes him the greatest
success in this enterprise.
Mr. Henry Vanstory, pro
prietor of Connelly Springs
Hotel, expects one of the best
seasons in the history of the
hotel. Already the advance
guard of the summer travel is
beginning to come in. Tne rail
road schedules are excellent now
for Hickory young people to at
tend the dances, Mr. Vanstory
says, and he looks for a large
attendance from here, Hickory
ites can leave at 7 a. m., 11:30 a.
m., or 4:30 p. m., for the hotel
and get back at 10:10 p. m,, thus
being able to spend any part of a
day they wish there. The Con
nelly Springs wateris strong in
valuable mineral properties and
is being shipped all over the
jountry.
The Western North Carolina
Epworth Leage Assembly met in
Statesville last Tuesday and held
session until Friday noon. A
large number of interesting and
profitable lectures and sermons
were delivered. Among them
were: An address by Rev. J.
Marvin Culbreth, of Nashville,
Tenn.; Rev. E. L, Bain of Win
ston-Salem; Dr. T. F. Marr of
Charlotte; Mr. Walter Neal of
Chattanooga, Tenn.; Revs. O. f.
Ader, J. Frank Armstrong, C.
S. Kirkpatrick, R. E. Atkinson
and J. 0. Erwin. Mr. A. M.
West, of this city, conducted a
round table discussion and par
ticipated in several open discus
sions, and Mr. Auburn H. Set
zer, of this place, presented the
work and purpose of the Metho
dic t Training School of Nash
ville, Tenn. The delegates were
often talking of Hickory's fine
intertainment last vear.
The following special from
Kinston dated June 4 concerns
young Perry Stallings, well
known here: "Perry Stallings, 16
year old son of Mr. J. B. Stal
lings, a prominate tobacco buyer
of this city was stabbed and in
stally killed about 7 o'clock this
evening on Queen street by
young Charlie Randolph. The
bovs were quarreling and • blows
followed, after which young
Randolph stabbed Stallings un
der the left shoulder blade, punc
turing the artera. The boys be
long to prominent families, and
much excitement is being created
by the fatality. Young Ran
dolph was lodged in jail but an
effort will be made to have a
quiet freliminary trial in an en
deavor to secure bail." Young
Stallings and his sister, Miss
Lillian, spent a winter here at
Mr, Dave Witherspoon's, who is
a relative,
SECOND SECTION
Obituary.
Arthur L. Bost, son of Mr. and
Mrs. Thomas v. r>jst oi this city
was horn Nov. '&f, anu de
parted this lite June 1. Bxougni
up in the doctrines oi the Lutn
eran church he remained xaitn
iul to his cnurcn until death. lie
was a member oi class 15 of tne
Sunday scnool, from which class
tne pall-hearers were chosen,
viz. Terry Burns, David Isen
hour, Loyu and Earl Whitener,
Paui Hutfman and DJ.as White
ner. Three years ago he located
at Biltmore, where ne engaged
in an nonoraoie occupation. A
nttie over a year ago he united
in marriage witn Miss Callie
riaines and to this union one
cnild was horn. Last Feourary
he became stricken with tuour
culosis of the tnroat. His de
cline was rapid and death came
Saturday at 5:30 a. m. His lun
eral was preached from lloly
Trinity June 2nd at 3 p, m. in
tne presence of many sympa
thizing triends, Tnere are left
to mourn nis loving parents, his
atfecuonate wife and child, two
brothers and two sisters, in the
cemetery his body awaits the
resurrection.
National Democratic Convention Bal
timore, Md., June 25tli-27th,
1912, via seaboard Air Line
Railway.
The Seaboard Air Line Railway will
operate special sleeping cars Ruther
for ,ton-Shelby-Lincolnton & Charlotte
to the National Democratic Convention
in Baltimore. Cars will leave these
points on afternoon of June 24th. We
have arranged to Dark these cars at
Baltimore so that passengers can oc
cupy in Baltimore, thus avoiding the
great expense of Hotel bills while in
tnis city. The rate for the r OUQ d trip
from Rutherfordton $15.85, Shelby
$15.45, Lincolnton $14.80, Char
lotte $14.20. This does not include
Pullman. These cars will *be charter
ed foi' $45.00 per day and $5.00 per
day parkage charge; counting twenty
five people to the car it will make it
cost each occupant $2 00 per day.
The trip will consist of about five days
making your total sleeping car both
ways, and occupancy while in Balti
more just SIO.OO. This is far cheap
er than you could get it otherwise.
For reservation in these cars write. J.
M. Carson, Rutherfordton or the un
dersigned,
James Ker Jr.
T. P. A. S. A. L.; Charlotte, N. C.
Not Paint.
The worst mistake in painting is not
pulting-off. That costs about 10 per
cent; you keep your money a year and
pay 10 percent for it.
Paint would have to comc-down 25
percent to make 10 percent on the
job, for wages do not go-down.
The worst mistake is "cheap" paint.
It costs from 50 percent to 100, first
cost, and another in wear.
What a?liar "cheap" is! "Put-off"
is bad enough; "cheap" is ten times
worse.
DEVOE
F. B. Ingold sells it.
Death of Mrs. Wilson.
Mrs. Jake Wibon drobped
dead Monday at 3 o'clock of
dropsy of the heart. She has
been ill for eight months since
the birth of her baby, which,
with the bereaved husband, sur
vive. The funeral was held at
Houck's Chapel Sunday after
noon.
Each age of our lives has its joys.
Old people should be happy, and they
will be if Chamberlain's Tablets are
taken to strengthen the digestion and
keep the bowels regular. These tab
lets are mild and gentle in their action
and especially suitable for people of
middle age snd older. For sale by all
dealers.
Sermon to the City Firemen.
On next Sunday at 11 o'clock
the city firemen will attend the
First Methodist church in a body
at which time Rev. D. M. Litaker
will preach their annual sermon.
The public is invited.
When your child has whooping
cough be careful to keep the cough
loose and expectoration easy by giving;
Chamberlain's Cough Remedy as mayj
be required.. • This remedy will also
liquify the tough musus and n.ake it
easier to expectorate. It has been
used successfully in many epidemics
and is safe apd sure. For s>a!e by all
dealers.
Mr. G. E. Lineberry, Educa
tional Secretary of the Baptist
State Convention, spoke at the
Baptist church Sunday morn
ing. Kis address was on the sub
ject of the power of the mother in
the home. Mr. Lineberry spent
a day or two here in the interest
of Meredith College. •
Mr. Gordon Cilley, of Phila
delphia will spend next week
herewith relatives.
Hookworm Specialist Here.
It is a great advantage to
this section to have here for
several weeks campaign, Dr.
Piatt W Covington and his
microscopist, Mr. Kolbe Curtis,
of the state hookworm campaign.
Their itinerary of the county is
to be found in their ad. in this
issue of the paper. Their head
quarters here are at the city
hall, where they can be found on
Tuesdays. A number of cases
have been examined by them al
ready, one was a girl 16 years
old who weighed only 60 pounds.
The treatment is free and all
those who have the symptoms
of this really dangerous disease
shouid call on the specialist. It
may mean the saving of a life.
Analysis of Water from Hicanoca
Springs, City Pa r k, Hicko
ry, N. C. 0
Analysis Grains per. U. S. gal.
Calcium sulphate
Calcium bicarbonate ....6.317
Magnesium sulphate 6.972
Iron sulphate (ferrous) 1.921
Iron bicarbonate 3.849
Potassium sulphate 931
Sodium hydrosulphate 160
Potassium chloride 617
Sodium chloride 732
Sodium phosphate..'. 290
Silica 017
Magnesium ehloride 201
Lithium chloride Trace
Total .' 38.932
The specific gravity is 1.0045
The water is practically clear, show
ing a slight turbidity. It has no odor;
has a mineral taste; is neutral to or
dinary indicators. It is free from any
disease germs; contains no decaying
organic matter in the form of nitrates
or albuminoid ammonia. It contains
no free ammonia. Only a very slight
test for nitrates was found. The
water is hence pure for drinking pur
poses.
E. E. Randolph. Ph. D.
Analytical Chemist.
Formerly Instructor in Analytical
Chemistry in the University of worth
Carolina; later Carnegie Research As
sistant.
My daughter had been bown a
week with Flux, and was very sick.
I procured Dr. King's Diarrhoea and
Dysentery Cordial and cured her with
four doses, GEORGE HICKS.
Handy to have for sudden attacks.
25c., sold by all dealers.
In this issue is published the
analysis of the water of Hicano
ca Spring in the city park, which
Mr. Huffman, of the Huffry, was
at pains to have opened not long
ago. It is a splendid mineral
water. The Democrat hears that
the city fathers are considering
having the spring closed up but
hopes such action will not be
taken. The water is valuable
and will make a splendid ad
ditional attraction]for our already
beautiful park.
Move On Now!
says a policeman to a st-eet crowd,
and whacks head if it don't. "Move
on now." says the big harsh mineral
pills to bowel congestion and suffering
follow?. Dr. King's New Life Pills
don't bulldoze the bowels. They
gently persuade them to right action,
and health follows. 25c at C. M.
Shuford. Moser &- Lutz and Grimes
Drug Co.
IMPORTANT
We want it distinctly un
derstood that there will be
no change in the voting on
subscriptions. You can get
just as much for your mon
ey today as you can through
out the life of the contest.
• Turn in your subscriptions,
get: the paper started, and
take out a SPECIAL receipt
—The Hickory Democrat.
Notice of Sale Under Ex
ecution.
North Carolina, Catawba County,
In Superior Court,
fi. D. Ekard, vs. Otis Vanderburg.
Notice of Sale Under Execution.
By virtue of an execution to the un
dersigned from the Superior court of
Catawba county in the above entitled
action, I will, on Saturday, the Sixth
day of July, 1912, at 12 o'clock, M,
at the Court House door of said coun
ty, sell to the highest bidder for cash
to satisfy said execution, all the right,
title and interest which the said Otis
Vanderdi rg, the Defendant has in the
following r escribed real estate; viz:
A certain brick Dwelling occupied
as a residence by the family of the
aforesaid Otis Vanderburg, located in
the eastern portion of the city of Hick
ory, and in Hickory township, Cataw
ba county, N. C., adjoining the lands
of James Sigmon, Walter Hahn and
others. This property is very desira
ble property and is a large and much
coveted lot, containing between one
and two acres and located on the North
side of and adjoining Highland
Avenue.
This 4th day of June, 1912.
R. L. HEWITT, Sheriff.
Per J. P, 'BURNS, Deputy.
D. L. Russell, Atty.
Democrat and Press, Consolidated i 905
!
Home Course
Road Making
IV. —State Aid In Road
Improvement.
By LOGAN WALLER PAGE,
j Director Office of Public Roads,
United States Department
of Agriculture.
Copyright by American Press Asso
ciation, 1912.
THE principle of state aid and
state supervision seems to of
fer the best solution of the
road problem. The first state
to adopt state aid was New Jersey, a
; law having been passed by the legis
lature of that state in 1891. Since
that time about two-thirds of the states
of the Union have adopted some form
of state aid or state supervision.
In order to receive the aid of the
state the counties or townships are re
quired to pay a portion of the cost.
This amount varies in the different
states from 25 to 50 per cent, but in
some of the states the whole cost of
%
:■
[fy ' . • ' ' ' : ;
A STATE AID ROAD IN NEW JERSEY.
certain trunk line roads is paid by tht
state. The principle of state aid is
that the state contribute to road im
provement out of a general fund to
which all taxpayers contribute. The
fund does not come from farmer:
alone, but from all the people, and
especially from those that are more
abundantly able to bear' the burden of
taxation. A great injustice has been
done the farmers of this country in ex
pecting them alone to shoulder the en
tire expense and responsibility of
building country roads. The residents
of cities have signified a greater,will
ingness to contribute to this fund than
those who live in the rural districts
notwithstanding the fact that prac
tically all the state aid laws prohibit
the us"? of the money within the limits
of cities and towns. State aid tends to
equalize the burden of taxation.
Every one who uses a highway or
receives any benefit f(*om it should con
tribute to the cost of its improvement
The farmer is not the only one who uses
the country roads or receives benefit
from them. They are also used by the
country merchant, the lumber dealer,
the itinerant peddler, the village doc
tor, the commercial salesman, by the
wheelman and the automobilist, and to
a greater or lesser extent by the en
tire people. The city dweller cannot
live without his daily supplies from
[ the farm, and he must pay daily and
in cash the greater share of all extra
cost attending their transportation.
Some of the state highway depart
ments are operated on a purely politi
cal basis, and it very frequently hap
pens that the highway commissioners,
as well as their subordinates, are re
moved from office for purely political
reasons, no matter how efficient or com
petent they may be. This is the most
serious defect in our state aid system.
Any law providing for state super
vision and state aid should be so
framed as to remove its administra
tion as far as possible from the in
fluence of partisan politics. A plan
that seems to be meeting with general
approval is one which provides for a
nonpaid, nonpartisan and technically
competent commission that consists,
for instance, of a professor of civil en
gineering from one of the leading uni
versities or colleges of the state, the
state geologist and one civilian mem
ber to be appointed by the governor.
A commission thus constituted has a
majority of its members selected be
cause of their training and ability and
without reference to their political af
filiations. The civilian member ap
pointed by the governor should bring
to the commission the business ability
essential to the proper and economic
organization and prosecution of its
work. At the same time, so long as
; the governor could appoint only the
minority of the commission and the
; same being nonpaid, there would be
i little inducement to make the position
' one of political preferment
| The actual work of a state highway
i department should be under the direc
( tion of one man possessing technical
! qualifications, experience and execu
tive ability. This official should be ap
pointed by the commission. He should
be a civil engineer, skilled and experi
enced in road construction and main
tenance, and his salary should be fixed
by the commission. His position should
be permanent, and he should not be re
moved except for incompetence or mal
feasance In office.
The state highway engineer should
be empowered to appoint all of his as
sistants after proper examination and
with the advice and consent of the
commission, fo receive all bids and to
award contracts, to supervise the work
of construction and maintenance, and,
in fact, he should be given full authori
ty in all executive work of the depart
ment. The state highway engineer
should prepare a map of such of the
main highways of the state, as should
most properly constitute a system of
state or trunk line roads to be improv
ed either in part or wholly by the state.
State road improvement should be car
ried forwaad with the ultimate idea of
developing a continuous system of
trunk lines running throughout the
state and connecting, if possible, with
similar trunk line roads in adjacent
states and with the necessary lateral
roads in each county.
The state highway engineer should
be given authority to call on county or
township road officials for information
concerning the roads under their super
vision, and it should be made manda
tors' on such officials to furnish such in
formation upon request. This is very
desirable, as it is necessary for the
state highway department to keep post
ed as to conditions existing in different
counties.
In most of the state aid laws the
initiative in obtaining state aid rests
with the county or township authori
ties. This is a wise provision, because,
in the first place, the local authorities
are in better position to know what
roads it will be to the greatest advan
tage of the county or township to im
prove, and, in the second place, they
are best able to determine the extent
of the county's ability to share in the
expense of such an improvement. An
other consideration of great importance
in this connection is that if the initia
tive were to rest entirely with the
state there would be a certainty of
conflict of authority between the state
and the counties, resulting in the ulti
mate failure of the state aid plan.
The only case in which the roads can
be built by the state without the full
and hearty co-operation of the coun
ties or townships is where the state
pays the entire cost of building and
maintaining the roads. Most of the
laws provide that state aid shall not
be granted until the application of the
local authorities has been approved by
the state engineer, which enables the
engineer to exercise a sort of supervis
ory power over the selection of the
roads to be improved, to the end that
the various roads throughout the state
shall conform to a general system.
All surveys, plans, specifications and
estimates for state roads and bridges
should be made by the state highway
engineer's office, thus insuring uni
formity and a high degree of excel
lence. All improvements to cost over,
say, $2,000 should be let to contract,
as it has been found that this means
economy both in time and money and
with proper supervision will usually
givtf better results than could be ob
tained otherwise.
Some of the states provide that the
whole cost shall be paid in the first in
stance by the state, the counties or
townships being required to reimburse
the state for their share at a fixed
time after the road is improved.
Bridges and culverts should be con
sidered as a part of the road and the
state should aid in their construction
within proper limitations in the same
manner as for the road itself. When
the work, is let to contract the contrac
tor must of uecessity advance money
in the performance of his contract and
is therefore entitled to x*eceive partial
payments thereon as the same progress
es, but not over 85 per cent of the ton
tract price of the work should be paid
In advance of its full completion and
acceptance.
. The state highway engineer should be
required to keep all roads built by the
aid of the state in proper repair, the
total cost of such repairs to be paid by
the state, the counties and townships
to reimburse the state in the same man
uer as for the construction of the roadv
The reason for this is that road main
tenance is of as great or even greater
J
A STATE ROAD IN CONNECTICUT.
importance than road construction, and
the best roads if neglected soon go to
ruin.
It is utterly useless to establish a
state ldghway system without at the
same time providing an adequate
source of revenue. Unless there is a
surplus in the treasury for this pur
pose a special tax should be levied or
a state bond issue should be author
ized. On the theory that automobiles
are destructive to improved roads most
of the state aid states provide that the
proceeds of automobile licenses over
and above the expenses connected with
issuing such licenses be applied to the
state highway fund and used for the
iwrnofe of constructing and maintain
ing the roads. ,
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