The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-03-03
HALF MILLION FOR
BUILDING ROADS
LoveIady Suggests Bond Issue
Is The Thing
WOULD DO THE WORK RIGHT
Claims 100000 a Year Now Spent
on Dirt Roads Is Wasted Because
Rains Destroy the
Work.
WOULD DO THE WORK RIGHT


roads in jefferson county to be issued
right away, is what r. F. Lovelady,
of the Board of Revenue, favors. He
throws 1t out as a suggestion to be
considered and discussed by the think
ing people of the county and he says
that If public sentiment favors it,
there will be no trouble getting it
before the vote of the people.
This would be one of the biggest
things vet undertaken and If passed.
would result, he thinks, in more real
good for the county than the long
spread out expenditures which are now
being made. Within one year some 300
miles of macadam road would be built
and the face of the county would be
changed entirely.
"A million dollars spent on the pub
lie roads of jefferson county during
the next year, would. IL my opinion,
do much toward the Improvement of
conditions, and the prosperity of the
county, and would be the best eco
nomic investment the people of the
county could make" said Mr.. Love-
lady.
"If possible 1 would like to see
bond issue of say, $4,000, which, to-
gether with the money We would re-
ceive this year from the various road
funds. would make a full million dol
lars.
I'VE now have about 100 miles of
road and some 800 miles of macadam.
The thing to do would be to jump in
and by concentration of effort, and a
| multiplication of forces build 800 more
miles of macadam within the next
year.
This would give us of today road
convenience that We need. 1t would
ditions of the farmers of the county,
would work for the merchant, the min
ing company and almost every other
interest.
more important than anything else,
however, 1t would prevent this awful
waste of money which the board is
throwing into the dirt roads every
year. We are now spending nearly
800. 600 year on dirt roads, and it
is simply method of paying for
gold bricks. The first rain that comes
washes away all the results.
1.-THE voter could hardly object to
the bond issue, as 1t would simply
mean money in his pocket. The tax
payer would not be a loser by one
cent. as the SO road fund and the 10
per cent fund would go to pay the
interest on the bonds. And 1t is my
firm belief that within five years the
increase resultant in the value OF the
property would more than half pay the
interest on the bonds.
probably it would be necessary to
go to the legislature to make the way
clear for the bond issue. Certainly,
every plan should be drawn and sub
mitted to the voters before they are
asked to pass on the question. 1t
might be necessary to pass a local bill
erson county to have in charge the
actual work. I have always thought
that the Board of Revenue should con-
sist of three men, while there should
be a special road commission. whose
duties are to look after the roads en-
tirely.
voters of Jefferson county never
turn down bond issue\i IL 1t is put
squarely up to them and they have
an exact showing for where 1T is to
be spent. They can easily realize that
this would not cost them cent, but
would really be money in their pock-
cts"