The age-herald., 1901-02-05
Opposition to Plan to Divert the
 Road Fund
QUESTION BEING AGlTATED
Colonel Jackson and Mir. McGeever Ex- plain Situaton-Mr, Wilson Says That the County Would Save
 Money by Letting Contract.

proposed plan to divert the bridge fund and part of the ten cent fund to relieve the deficit in the general fund of the county are both agitating the question, and peti- tions to the Legislature favorable to and against the enactment of a law giving the Board of Revenue such power are being literally signed by the taxpayers of the county.
 Two members of the board, who consti- tute minority, are opposed to the plan and fought the adoption of the resolution look ing to that end, which was the outcome of a conference between the board and the Jefferson County Representatives in the Legislature.
 Arguments on both sides of the question are being put forward, and indications point to vigorous fight before the matter Is finally disposed of
 Colonel Jackson Talks.
 Col. J. F. B. Jackson, supervisor of roads of Jefferson County, who is strongly op- posed to the plan, in discussing the ques- ton yesterday, said:
 "The Board of Revenue has already taken one-half of the bridge fund for 1901 and transferred 1t to the general fund. This consented to, believing that on account of the large amount of bridge work done dur ing 1900 that the county could afford to get along this year on half the sum. They now propose to take the entire bridge fund and the 10 cent fund and put it also into the general fund. The collections for bridge funds this year will be about 5000, or one half of what it should have been. The ten per cent fund for macadamized roads this year will amount to $S9,529, if it is all col lected. In the opinion of Mir. Francis 10 per cent of this sum will not be collected. If this sum is taken and the entire bridge fund it will divert about s45, 600 from the roads and bridges of Jefferson County. Out of this amount s11,527.75 must be paid for interest on the bonds, that ordinarily we have about $34, 900 to spend on macadamized roads and bridges. The two dollar fund goes entirely for dirt roads. and is not in cluded in the above amount.
 If this amount is diverted annually or in the county they are bound to suffer bad ly, as any man of ordinary intelligence must realize In roads, stitch in time, so to speak, saves nine County roads must be kept up like railroads; a force should De kept on tHen1 IHt IHdJOT- ity of the maoadamized roads in this coun- ty have been built from twelve to fourteen years, and the gravel is much worn and needs to be replaced, which will require from $2OO to $500 mile according to local ity to the gravel. We extended about 25 miles of new macadam roads last year. These cost from $500 to $2O0o mile, &C., cording to locality. We expect to build about thirty miles of new macadsm roads this year if our funds are not interfered with.
 "We have made many changes in the dirt roads, cutting down the grades in the diff ferent localities, say from Shorts ferry to- wards Birmingham, the Goggins' ferry road, Rock creek hill, Hammachers hill, the road above Irondale, and changes in Beat 31. It requires from eighty to four hundred hands to keep the roads in the county in good condition the number vary ing according to the seasons and the rainy weather.
 Hast year we put in about 937 openings, including stone culverts, terra cotta pipe and several new bridges. We have forty iron bridges in the county and put in one last year across Cahaba river at a cost of s56OO We have 200 miles of macadam roads, 1117 miles of dirst roads, making total mileage of 1917, which it is obvious will re- auire considerable money to maintain.
 ''fhe county owns the best outfit in the South for working roads. There are thirty large mules and their harness, sixteen wagons, four road machines, forty sorapers, shovels, picks, hammers and other tools. The whole outfit has cost s10,O0O If the ;o Iaf a1a progress in our work on the roads this and next year, but If the fund Is diverted this outfit will have to be sold or else be- come valueless from rust and disuse.
 "So far about 5000 people have signed the petition to the Legislature not to pass any law authorizing the Board of Revenue 10 transfer the bridge fund the ten cents fund to the general fund.-"
 The Opponents.
 Hugh McGeever, a member of the Board of Revenue, who opposes the plan, was seen yesterday by an Age-Herald reporter, and in referring to the proposed amend ment to the present law, said:
 Med Brace, in his article in Sundays Age Herald, does an injustice to certain members of the Board of Revenue. It was unintentional of course. Anyone after reading his article, The Board of Revenue of Jefferson County is composed of good men, but they are on the wrong track when they seek to divert from the road fund of Jefferson County would naturally sup pose that all the members of the Board of Revenue were in favor of taking the above fund, which is not the case, for myself and
 MT. Lacy have, from the beginning, stren- uously opposed touching the road fund or diverting 1t to any purpose other than that which it is now used for, namely, extend ing and keeping in good repair the roads, which are the pride of the county.
 Anything done or attempted to be done in the way of taking this money from the road fund will, in my opinion, be step backwards and not in pace with the splen- did progress of our county, which is forg ing it's way to the front of any county in the Southern States"
 Another View.