The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1910-06-22
G|LCHR|ST IN GAINESVILLE
Address on Improved Highways to the
County Commissioners and Good
Roads Convention

delivered on the occasion of the meet
ng in the interest of good roads here
asst night, Governor Gilchrist showed
hat good roads are in keeping with
he spirit of progress of the times
After briefly stating the advantages of
good roads, he cautioned the people 10
that they could not get
something for nothing, and that these
improved convenienceS must be paid
for. He stated that many favor a sys-
lem of good roads TO be paid for by
state taxation. that during the last two
he had published a statement
based upon reports furnished by the
clerks Of the circuit courts of the vari-
,us counties in Florida, showing that
there is an aggregate of over 1900
miles of improved roads throughout the
state and that several counties had
bonded themselves for the purpose OF
building good roads. He stated that il
would be quite difficult to have a bill
passed by the legislature taxing these
which have already done so
much in road building, TO make them
pay tax to build roads through coun-
ties hundreds of miles distant from
them, which counties had done nothing
toward road development. He said.
however, that the money derived from
the lease of state convicts would ag-
gregate about 100000 per year: that
this money is now apportioned to the
various counties in proportion to the
assessed valuation Of the same: that
II. the Legislature We're to pass a law
the county commits sioners
TO spend this money on good roads that
de
throughout every county in Florida.
and that a system of good roads
could be secured through a convention
OF the county commissioners OF the va
rious counties. He also showed that
for witness fees, jurors, prosecuting
attorneys and judges, and that the
state should receive at least $4,000.
$4,000 to 100000 of the 100000 net
Received from the lease Of state con-
Victs. He stated that the state debt
consisted of refund bonds, amounting
to 1901 sos, bearing interest at the rate
of three per cent They are held by
the state Board Of Education: that, in
asmuch as the state paid fully $127,0O0
for securing convictions. ana that the
lease of the state convicts aggregated
u part Of this money should be paid on
the states Indebtedness, He stated
that according to the Constitution. the
principal OF the public school fund is
"inviolate" and that heretofore this
principal had been invested in state
bonds, bearing three per cent. interest.
thus anordlnS a cheap market for low
interest bearing bonds of other states
* 10 ,f h.
Board Of Education TO invest this prin-
cipal in county and municipal bonds of
Florida, bearing interest at the rate of
four per cent. or five per cent, averag-
ing fully four and one-nalf per cent.
thus assisting iii finding market for
our home bonds and in increasing the
interest of the school fund fully fifty
per cent; that in addition TO paying up
the states bonded Indebtedness, the
amount of money now invested at three
per cent. in these bonds would be in
vested in municipal and county bonds
at an average rate of four and one-half
per cent, thereby increasing the
amount of money received from the
school fund fully fifty per cent.
Governor GilchriSt invited attention
to the operation of section 264S of the
been "a part of the law of Florida since
its approval August 8, 1868. Paragraph
of this section, relating TO the requi-
sites of a proposed charter, provides
that: The highest amount of indebt-
edness or liability for which corpora
ton can at any time subject itself
shall be set forth" in the application
for charter. He stated that under this
law. the promoters and incorporators
of railroads could place the amount of
Indebtedness or liability at 10 or IS
times as much as the legitimate cost
of the construction and equipment of
the road; that by selllnS these bonds 10
innocent parties an eAorpltant 1relSht
ana passenger rate could De demanded
on the ground that the property was
entltled 10 pay lalr per cent on It's
Indebtedness ana II lower rate was
demanded II "oulu De equlNaleht 10
coililScdtloh Oh property anu d 'loldIloii
u the consul u'loli' ny uepli'Hhs per
sons OF 'helr property without que
process OF law. ne stated that the pro-
lii'o' poi 'h'o'9 anu Piollo'el9 VI toou9
III l"e Slate 10 forever place an uhJuS'
'rlor'e Oh tHe people ShippihS anu re-
ing mere anu Prouuce over
80 "a 49, ,,,Io1,r,9l,,,
Of ca,,i+a1 ,bronebo,,t our state wbatb-
~ NV ;,ai,.ia,o1s or oo,rrora.io,,.. tho,
ha ,id ,o+ ha1;a,-s, in aa.i,r ~ oIi,-e
law az wouId allow a few promoters +,