The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-02-26
Each County Gets Same Amount


MI. ONeil: Yes. The people will have
to amend the constitution again. They
are going to bring up an amendment to
the constitution which they did not get in
at the last good road amendment, TO work
| all the convicts ON the roads. AS | un-
derstand 1t. there are now 90 states work
Ing the convicts successfully. The board
Z, of revenue has started within the last six
norths in Jefferson county to work con-
victs on the roads. Georgia is working
then on the roads and number of other
states, and the Alabama Good Roads as
sociation believes the next amendment to
the Alabama constitution win be an
amendment allowing us to work the state
convicts on the roads.
mir Austin: Can you do that by an act
of the legisatpre?
No Internal improvements
MIR. O'Neill No. The constitution has
a section in it which provides that the
state cannot engage in any internal inn
provements. Under the amendment Ala
| bama did adopt. they were to get. if the
! state could afford it, the entire convict
fund, but they did not put in the amend
rnent the right to work convicts: so now
they have to have another amendment
voted ON by the people of the state to
irclude them
Mr.. Lee: Could you not give each coun-
ty its pro rata of the convicts?
Mr.. O'Neill: Legislature cannot do
that because the state cannot engage in
internal improvement. The people did put
through one amendment that the state
could give the convict fund to the coun-
ties, but not the convicts. Now they have
ar amendment to the constitution so that
we can get the state convicts to work on
the roads
The Chairman: What is the available
amount of money you have for state roads
in Alabama?
Mr.. ONeill One hundred and thirty
four thousand dollars. This Is the first
term we have worked under that. l wish
to say that out of the 81 counties, every
county but four took advantage of that.
The Chairman: And put up an equal
amount?
Mr.. oNeilI: And put up an equal
amount: yes.
The Chairman; How is that money
spent? In other words, what right has
the state over its expenditures?
| Mr.. O'Neill: 1t is expended under the
supervision of the state highway engi-
ncer.
Mr.. Austin: How many of your coun-
ties have issued bonds for road improve
inents?
Mr. O'Neill: There are quite a num-
Der. Mobile county just had an issue
of $4,000 worth of bonds, and any num-
ber of counties have had bond issues of
| $4,000, 100000 and so forth. Nh. Craft,
q member of the state highway commits
sion, can give you that data.
| Mr. Austin: How many miles of macad-
amized road have you in Alabama?
! Mr.. O'Neil: Mr.. Craft win also give
you that data.
Mr. Shacklefo-d: What do you say as
to how you feel about federal government
contributing something to the roads Of
the country?
For Benefit of Farmers
! Mr. O'Nell: We feel that federal gov
ernment should take care of the post
ioads the first thing and give the farmers
egress into the cities and keep the boys
on the farm and build up the various
states. | have Just glanced hurriedly over
| Mr. Shacklefords bill and I believe at
the present time that it would be a good
| proposition. I think that by giving so
much per mile to each cf the various
ccurties it would be an incentive for the
| various counties to build more roads
] quickly, and ! think the money they get
! will be expended quickly on the exten-
sion of roads, From a hurried reading
of the Shackleford bill, l would say that
| it looks good TO me.
Mr.. Shackleford: DO YOU think thew
would increase the mileage?
MIR. O'Neill: They could extend the
roads.
Mr. Austin: DO you think Mr. Shackle-
ford's bill carries enough?
Mr.. O'Neill; Well, ] do not know.
expect that if it was not enough the peo-
Pile of Alabama would ask for more.
Mr. Austin: 1t is SIS, 500 and So per
mile.
Mr.. O'Neill: think the second propo-
sition, SIS, $50 and $50 to raise the amount
would be better
Mr.. Austin: The Moon proposition?
Mr.. O'Neill: Yes.
Mr.. Austin: l will agree with you.
Mr.. Shacxleford: What showed to the
gentleman was sl5, $50 and see.
To Connect All Highways
Mr.. ONeill: The highway commission,
Mr. Craft will tell you. has passed reso-
lutions instrueting the state engineer to
connect up with all state roads and con-
meet up with the main highways through
/, the state, and l think by giving this aid
| to the various counties they will connect
all of the post roads and you will have.
| in time, that long talked of highway from.
/ the Atlantic to the Pacific. The first
thing, however, is to take care of the
/ farmers.
/ Senator Gronna: Would you people be
/ satisfied with the rlan outlined by sir.
! Diehl?
! Mr.. O'Neill They might after a while
but not at the present time They want
! to take care of the farmers.
4 Mr.. Lee: You would be more interested
| in a road from New York to New Or
leans. rather than road from New York
to San Francisco.
i Mr.. O'Neill; / think that we ought
4 to take care of the people first, the poor
| I'ecple, the people who cannot build roads,
i Mr.. Austin: And you want to make
those who can afford it help them out?
i Mr.. O'Neil: That is it, We helped
| Winston county and gave them as much
as Jefferson county which paid ono-fifth
/ of the whole tax of the state.
4 Mr.. Austin: What are you doing with
| your convicts in Alabama at this time?
/ Mr.. O'Neill: The state convicts are
4 working in competition with free labor T
/ really think the federal convicts ought
to be working on the roads, | think it is
! better for the convicts and better for the
/ laboring people
| Mr.. Austin: Are YOU using them in the
4 coal mines?
/ Mr. O'Neil. Some Of them; yes.
/ Mr.. Austin: Are you using any in fac
| tories
| Mr.. O'Neill Yes. sir in mines, lumber
| camps, stove foundries and on the farms.
The Chairman: How do You farm them
out on the farms?
/ Mr.. ONeill: They have q state farm.
| Ssrator Gronna: What is the cost per
= ron mile n, fro; e1,+ ~, h;