Jasper County Democrat, Volume 20, Number 56, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 October 1917 — COMMENDS BRICK HIGHWAYS [ARTICLE]

COMMENDS BRICK HIGHWAYS

State Officer Approves Democrat's Stand for Permanent Roads. The article concerning brick roads for permanency and economy published in a recent issue of The Democrat, attracted some attention, from men high up in the affairs of the state, and one of these, M. E. Noblet, secretary of the Hoosier State Automobile association, has written us commending our stand and offering his aid in any way possible in securing permanent roads for Jasper county. As time goes on the question of permanent, roads will -become more and more paramount in the minds of the taxpayers of Jasper county. With ever increasing costs of maintenance, which will never decrease so long as the present system is followed, it is but natural that permanent roads should be the ultimate desire of one and all. One source of trouble heretofore encountered by counties in con-

structing permanent roads has been the securing of a competent and qualified man to ' apt as inspector of the road, which must be done in order to eliminate any possibility of securing other than a perfect road. As stated by Mr. Noblet, it is now possible for a county to secure such a person -from lhe-sta-te- high-way—commission. Mr. Noblet also states the reason that through tourists no longer make this county in their journey between Chicago -and Indianapolis, which verifies our contention that the roads of Jasper county are not what they should be. We have many good roads, it is true, but some of them are ill-kept and in poor shape, and until we secure a system that does not need constant repairing by incompetent men. little else can be expected. Mr. Noblet’s letter to The Democrat follows in full: A copy of your paper under date of September 22. with article headed “Brick Roads Are Most Durable,” has been handed to me. I have read the article with much interest and wish to know if there is anything I can do to help you get a good brick road through Jasper county along the Jackson highway or get any other good road built along this route. Since last fall it has been necessary for us to route people by way of Morocco instead of by way of Rensselaer to Chicago and I know that. Chicago is routing "people to Indianapolis so as to miss Rensselaer. What is the trouble? Are the townships along the Jackson highway bonded to the limit or is it a lack of interest on the part of the townships to get a good road? If they have a bonding capacity and will stop to think a minute the people along this route surely must realize that the increased value of their lands on account of such a new road, to say nothing of the wonderfully decreased post of hauling produce, plus the great' “pleasure advantages, far outstrip the cost of such a road and as your article states, once the people got such a road they would never want to ho without it. While it looks now as though there would be no state highway this coming year passing through your county, you can go ahead and build and get the state highway engineer to O. K- your plans and specifications and look after inspection of the-construction of the road, and no doubt your local officials would be glad to;take advantage' of this . opportunity to get help. You know, of course, as well as I. that iimdeF'Die present law y ou.r couptV commissioners cannot pay over $2.50 per day for an inspector, and by getting the state highway commission to supply the inspector your county gets a much higher class man. Assuring you of our interest at this end of the line, I am, Yours very truly, - “M. E. NOBLET.