The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1913-12-18
v INTER HAVEN'S SIDE
OF ROAD CONTROVERSY

eh'e villa ana other portions of
FOLK county are endeavoring to d.
vert the jacksonville Tampa high
way from Auburndale and Lakeland
and have same go via Florence Villa.
winter Haven, Eagle Lake, Barlow,
Mulberry, etc. The writer was
either unacquainted with the facts
or else deliberately misrepresented
them.
Polk county is adopting and build
Ing public highways in different
parts OF the country, the funds for
same being derived from taxes from
all portions of the county set aside
as road fund for the entire county.
The people desire road through
the county, to be used and known as
the Jacksonville e-Tampa highway,
and to build it from Haines CITY to
Lakeland via Florence Villa and Au-
burndale will serve a much more
thickly settled territory and be less
expensive than via Lake Alfred, for
there is already a highway via Flor
ence Villa and it will be cheaper to
put same in first class condition
than to build what would be almost
a new road Aside from the fact
that some of the highest developed
land in the county is on the route
via Florence Villa, something which
is bound TO impress the tourists with
the Importance of the county, the
building of the road via the latter
route will give visitors the option Of
going directly to Lakeland via Au-
burndale or coming to Winter Hav-
en-, Eagle Lake, Barlow and seeing
the central and southern end of the
county, visiting Fort Meade, Mulber-
ry and the phosphate mines. A good
road is now being finished between
Barlow and Lakeland, and those not
desiring to go farther, may turn of
at Barlow and 60 out via Lakeland.
Two routes would be of greater ad-
vantage to the county than one.
The distance from Haines City to
Lakeland via Florence Villa and Au-
burndale is practically the same as
via Lake Alfred and Auburndale. At
present there is only one dwelling
between Lake Alfred and Haines
City distance of seven miles, and
the character of a majority of this
intermediate country is such that fu-
ture development is most improb-
able, The road via Lake Alfred would
be much more expensive to build on
account of marshes than via Flor
ence Villa, as via the latter the ROAD
is on high ground the entire dis
tance from Haines City to Auburn
dale. Already several thousand dol
lars have been expended by the coun-
tv to make the Florence Villa route
the main highway, which would be
almost wasted by the building OF a
parallel road for twelve miles.
Via the Florence Villa route, the
county will not only have built a
highway which will enable tourists
to see nearly every section OF the
county, but for the use OF the people
who pay for the same.
The question is asked why the peo'
nle of the whole county should pay
for the building of national hlgn'
wav which not only runs through d
sparsely settled section but wnicn
nrevents visitors from seeing any pu'
tbo northern portion Thereon :
should Lake Alfred be given the
nroferance over nearly half OF tne
county and at the expense ol anu y
the disadvantage of at least ."o,
tbirdsq No one blames the people o'
lake Alfred for desiring the hign
wav. but to build it tnat way woui'
not mean the greatest good to the
greatest number" a principe upoi
which the American government :
sustained. There is at present
partially clayed road from Lake s,, "A,
frod TO Florence Villa, and it Woui'
seem more reasonable that less 'nal M
loo people should travel the % lou
n,,,os 70 use the main highway thai
for the larger territory OF man'
thousand people to go the extra , dis
tance to Lake Alfred to use the hiSn
way. o,,n rpAnF
By A. c. NydeggeT Secretary
Dec 1s, 1913