The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1910-06-22
Special to the journal.


Gainesville, June Elm his ad-
dress delivered on the occasion of the
meeting in the interest of good roads
here today, Governor Gilchrist show
ed that good roads are in keeping
with the spirit of progress of the
times. After briefly stating the ad-
Vantages of good roads, ne cautioned
the people to remember that they
could not get something for nothing.
and that these improved conveniences
must be paid for. He stated that
many favor a system of good roads
to be paid for by state taxation; that
during the last two months he had
published a statement based upon re-
ports furnished by the clerks of the
circuit courts of the various coun-
ties in Florida, showing that there is
an aggregate of over 5000 miles of
improved roads throughout the state,
and that several counties had bonded
themselves for the purpose of build
ing good roads.
STATE TAX UNFAIR.
He stated that it would be quite
difficult to have a bill passed by the
legislature taxing these counties
which have already done so much in
road building, to make them pay a
tax to build roads through counties
hundreds of miles distant from them,
which counties had done nothing to-
ward 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
IL the legislature were to pass a law
compelling the county commissioners
to expend this money on go6d roads
that we would soon have good roads
throughout every county in Florida,
and that system of good roads could
be secured through a convention OF
the county commissioners of the vari-
Gus counties. He also showed that
the state paid annually about S127,-
900 for witness fees, jurors, prosecut-
ing attorneys and judges, and that
the state should receive at least $780,
900, $4,000 to 100000 of the $780,
600 net, received from the lease OF
state convicts. He stated that the
state debt consisted of refund bonds,
amounting to S601, ,506, bearing inter-
est at the rate of three per cent. They
are held by the State Board of Edu-
cation; that, inasmuch as the state
paid fully $4,000 for securing con-
victions, and that the lease of the
per annum, that at least 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 inter-
est, thus affording a cheap market
for low interest bearing bonds of 9TH
er states; that it Is the policy of the
present Board of Education to invest
| this principal in county and municiapl
bonds of Florida, bearing interest at
the rate of four or five per cent, av-
eraging fully 1-2 per cent, thus as
sisting in finding market for our
home bonds and in increasing the II
terest of the school fund fully so
per cent; that in addition to paying
up the states bonded Indebtedness,
! the amount of money now invested ar
| thre per cent in these bonds would be
| invested in municipal and county
| bonds at an average rate of 4 IL per
cent, thereby increasing the amount
| of money received from the school
| fund fully fifty per cent.
REQUISITES OF CHARTERS.
Governor Gilchrist invited atten-
ton to the operation of section 2643,
of the General Statutes of Florida.
which has been a part of the law OF
! Florida since its approval August 9,
| 1868 Paragraph of this section, re-
| lating to the requisites of a proposed
| charter. provides that: The high
est amount of Indebtedness or liabiIi-
| ty for which a corporation can at any
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