The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1906-01-14

as. an issue in national politics.
In March, 1917, President Monroe
vetoed bill which contemplated lay
ing out and building a system of ma,
tional highways. This measure had
the support of Henry Clay, and would
have been the greatest undertaking of
its kind In the worlds history. From
1906 to 1893 S1,60O,0OO was appropri-
ated by congress for roads in different
states and territories, and 100000 of
this sum was according to government
reports, spent on roads in Florida not
yard of which exists today. This
would indicate that these old govern
menJ Fellows were like some of our
modern road-builders in Florida that
they didnt know how TO mix the stuff
20 make it stick.
Senator Latimer Of South Carolina
is the most influential good roads adj
Yocate in congress. In a conversation
with the senator during the National
Coed Roads Convention in this city
last winter he told me that if we would
get right behind our repre- entatives in
congress We could secure legislation
favorable % roads.
Florida is the Target state east of
the Mississippi except one. It has
more acres of virgin soil undisturbed
by the hard of man than any state in
the union. 1t has the finest climate Oh
earth, and if We will only aid the fine
climate and rich soil with a system of
high-class roads untoidSblassings would
come our way
Why, within The last-week the Ken
lucky Military Institute pulled up
stakes ana moved to Florida for the
winter. II Florida is a good place to
bring Kentucky soldiers for winter
training, would it not be equally as
good or better to bring Kentucky
horses for winter training? But Ken
lucky thoTOUghbreds don't do well on
bad poads, while neither trotters nor
thOrOughbreds ever develop their best
speed OF anything shOrt of a good mile
track. IL DUval county had the roads
and Jacksonville the track, 7 believe
the horses would naturally follow |
was born and raised in WOodfOrd. |
have lived for many years i'm Florida
| have worked on roads and race
'A''NANo III 1NNHNuNhNs lldNt NOIkPU
on race tracks and roads in Florida.
and each can be built in Florida for
oHe-tOurth The Kentucky cost. More
than that tnow don't all jump on me
at Once), Florida has a finer racing
climate every day IN the year than has
the tarfamed Blue Grass State. ana
the only winter racing climate worthy
the name in the United States.
There are Other beaches, but the
Ormond-DaytOna beach furnishes the
only brand Of sunshine warranted to
draw the racers from all over the big
world TO smash records and do things,
and many of them would stay with the
sunshine ard other attractions if we
had good roads over which they could
drive their machines. Give rs the
State Highway and the American
tourist, who loves his automobile next
to his wife, viii leave a string of gold
its entire length as he now leaves il
every winter along the line of good
roads in Italy and the south Of France.
A Few more tiTeleSS and unselfsh
workers like Senator A. 5. Mann
might start the bail to rolling without
waiting for the legislature TO meet to
give us state highway commission.
Besides. when the next legislature
meets ii may be like the last one. too
busy with legislation TO prohibit the
shooting of pigeons for sport. to pro.
hlbit the taking of fish in certain fresh
water ponds in the state OF Florida. 10
prohibit the shooting of alligators in
the Oklawaha river: 10 protect GER
tain plume birds; to prohibit tho
shooting of bullbats; 10 protect quail
wild turkeys and deer by prescribing
the time in which they may b. hunted
and limiting the. number 10 be shot in
any one day, etc. To the above list
might be added BY the forthcoming
legislature. other beasts, birds AMI
creeping things. so that these colossal
measures might eclipse the less i'm
portant items Of good roads and the
human species.
In a paper on good roads written for
the Ocala Banner n January. 1900, I.
said this:
1T is no stretch of he imagination
to say that if th2 state coavicts had
been pat at this work twenty years
ago, Florida would today have the fn-
est roals in America. for while the