WILKES FLOOD RELIEF COMMITTEE

NORTH WILKESBORO, N.C. 9/10/16

Hon. Locke Craig,
Raleigh, N.C.

My Dear Governor:-

Your letter of August 8,¹ relative to administering relief funds, was received yesterday evening and, so far as I am individually concerned, your suggestion meets with my approval with on exception as to this County.

Our Committee was appointed and we were selected, as I have been informed by those who took the lead in the mass meeting, because those who chose us believed we would distribute supplies and other relief to the flood stricken in such a manner as to keep the distribution thereof free from political considerations and from any consideration of personal preference or prejudice. The Chairman of our County Commissioners, while a man of honest intentions, is one of the most narrow minded, bigoted and conceited citizens of the County. He is absolutely controlled in his actions by personal and political prejudices. The County Attorney who is his moral, spiritual and material advisor and dictates his policies and public actions, is known to be a grafter and will soon likely be proceeded against for disbarment, or at least reported to the Grievance Committee of the State Bar Association for grossly unprofessional conduct. I would suggest that instead of having the Chairman of the Board of County Commissioners one of the Committee in this County, you appoint Mr. C. C. Wright, or have him designated, in lieu of the Chairman, then name as your appointee some prominent, firm and straightforward republican, who with Mr. Wright and a member selected by your committee will constitute the Board of Control in the further administration of relief funds and supplies for the flood stricken in this County.

When our mass meeting was held, no member of our committee had the slightest idea that he would be appointed thereon and each member has enough private business to fully occupy his entire time. If I had consulted my own selfish wishes and my professional duties, I would have refused to serve, but under such circumstances I felt it as little as a man could do to sacrifice his personal and professional duties to the broader one which he owes his unfortunate fellow man. At a time immediately preceeding an exceedingly busy term of our Court, which is now in session, I gave two weeks of my time to endeavors to obtain relief for the stricken and organize for its proper distribution, with the exception of one hour which I spent in my office looking after professional business. My sole desire in the whole matter was to so conduct the business of relieving the destitute as to do the most good to those really in distress and prevent imposition, and this is the motive which actuates me now in my suggestions to you, and I want to assure you of my willingness and anxiety to co-operate with you and any others who are interested, in promoting and carrying out the best means to attain a consumation of this desire.

As I wired you yesterday, a Government engineer, sent here by Maj. Youngburg, of Charleston, S.C., acting under orders of the War Department, expects to begin the work of repairing and rebuilding the public roads, which were damaged and washed away, during this week. Unless these roads are laid out by a competent engineer where they should be located as a part of our system of permanent high-ways, this work will of necessity in a few years be thrown away and will really injure the prospects of carrying our bond issue for $250,000.00 to build permanent high-ways in Wilkes, which will be voted on about September 16. Hence I desire to reiterate the request and emphasise the necessity of sending two or more State Highway engineers to this place immediately to locate these roads where they should be, utilize the Government funds expended, in building a part of our permanent high-ways in those sections of our County where they have the worst roads and in which there is the greatest opposition to out bond issue, and when these people see the difference in the old roads and ones constructed on a grade according to rules of expert engineering, they will vote for the bonds.

Please act at once on this suggestion,

Yours very truly,

R. N. Hackett.

1. Item not found among the papers of Locke Craig.