The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1912-12-30
ORE Good RoAps noND IssUE

NUMBER or our puDuc men, AHe1AA4A5
the county commissioners, legislators
elect and some other leading citizens,
will meet in Ocala to decide on ways
and means for providing Marion coun-
ty with improved roads. which are
among our greatest needs.
The means for this work cannot be
other than a bond issue. and the ways
to first obtain it and then intelligent
" apply 1t are special legislation and
the employment of competent en-
gineer. Our representatives in. the
legislature desire to confer with our
leading citizens regarding the first
and it will afterward be the business
of the county commissioners to employ
the latter.
It would seem highly to the inter-
est of Florida to pass a state road law
and enter on the systematic building
of roadways. An impediment to this
policy exists in several back-number
counties, which yet work their roads
under the antiquated plan of the citf-
zens turning out en- masse twice a
year to cut the logs out of the roads
and scrape a little dirt where 1T will
make a show The people of these
counties. mostly in northern and west
eTn Florida, have no roads, don't
want any and care less if no one else
has any. They invariably sit down on
any of their representatives who show
a disposition to work for better roads,
taxes on dogs or any other modern
Improvement Another thing is, that
If we had state road law, it is more
than probable that under existing
conditions our benefits would be both
doubtful and remote, while our taxa
tion would be heavy and immediate.
We had best build our own roads
under the supervision and for the
benefit of our own people. Then when
the state system is evolved, as it will
be, it will be necessary only for the
other counties to connect with ours.
There is fortunately chain of pro-
gresslve counties across the state
from Jacksonville to Tampa, and Ma
rion being one of the links does not
need to be taxed either for the benefit
of F1agler's hotels or for the sockless
giascutises of the backwoods
Following is an article from the
Manufacturers Record, which deserves
serious consideration. The Star be-
lieves the article is both truthful and
timely, and thinks the best way to
obtain the desired results is for the
They do not need to wait on the rest
or squander their resources on the
antediluvian sections of the state.
What Good Roads Mean to Florida
The Record says:
ct is reasonably safe to- say that if
there were two first-class motor roads
one from Jacksonville to Miami and
one from Jacksonville to the West
Coast, there would be almost an un-
broken line of automobiles to be seen
on these roads during the entire win
ter
New England, with it's splendid roads
and its fine winter climate, draws tens
of thousands of motorists who annual
1y leave in that section many millions
of dollars. Indeed, it has been careful
~ estimated by railroad men that the
tourist business yields to New Eng
land an annual crop of $60,O0O,000. This
is probably a conservative estimate
Moreover it is increasing more rapidly
probably than any other crop in tht
country. New England does not appea
to the motorist for summer trip 81
strongly as Florida would appeal tt
the motorist for a winter trip if two
main highways, well constructed, ex
listed in Florida, one down the cas-
coast and one to the west coast.
The tourist business to Florida il
capable of indefinite development.
is possible by active work on the par
of the people and the railroads to cas-
lily quadrup1e the tourist travel to that
state, as great as it Is now. The mos
powerful factor in accomplishing thi:
would be good roads. There ought tt
be good roads all over Florida con.
Meeting up every county seat, but IL
the meantime two main highways such
as suggested would be worth annually
many millions of dollars to the whole
state. On these roads a motorist would
scarcely ever be out of sight of anoth.
er automobile, for Florida is pre-emi-
nently the predestined great winter
tourist point and playground ant
health invigorating region for the PEG.
pie of the whole North Atlantic and
Eastern section of the country and OF
much Of the West. The sooner the
business men and the counties and
the state officials take up this work
the sooner will the state reap this rich
harvest. The draining of the Ever
glades is a great piece of work, fraught
with great possibilities for the wealth
of the state, but the draining of the
Everglades is of small Importance tt
Florida as compared with the results
that would follow the building of these
two first class highways.