The Marietta journal and courier. (Marietta, Ga.) 1909-1918, 1913-05-02
Mr.. GARRISON WRITES
AGAIN ON GOOD ROADS

tUIt1H Ss
To the editor of Marietta Journal
land citizens of Cobb County, Ga,
AS the discussion of the public
road question has the attention of
| our citizens, and is one of the most
! important questions now before the
county and public; l wish to add
! few more idas to what l have here
to-fore said in regard to the build
ing of our public roads and manage
ment of the Cobb county changing
etc. | see that some of the con-
tributors to your valuable paper are
opposed to the issuing of bonds, and
make figures that might with some
people have telling effect against
that method of raising funds to pro-
coed with said work. Now in max
ing figures they should always be
made to show conclusively the cor
rect answer to any problem. think
that if these opponents of bonds
will figure on both sides of the
out go and the in come to be obtain
ed through said method they will be
come satisfied that issuing bonds on
a proper basis will be better than
for said road building. l see our
tax rate is soc total per hundred dol
lars on all the taxable property in
Cobb county for the year 1913. This
tax rate seems to be with the main
tanning management of the chain
gang the main objections by those
opposing bonds. From past eX-
perience and close observation in
road building. l am fully satisfied
that our changing has been a pay
ing proposition to Cobo county and
that our tax rates has been as low as
our commissioners could make them
under all the conditions before them.
| think the citizens throughout the
county should cooperate with them
rather than be kicking at what they
do. l assume that they are all gen.
tlemen of the highest order and will
do what they think is to the best in
terest of all the citizens of the coun-
| ty. Therefore; l am not in favor of
abolishing the office of county COM
missioners nor the work of the chain
gang. AS to the interest on bonds if
they were adopted, it is true that
said interest would have to be paid
ANNUALLY. Now to off set said inter
TEST a sinking fund should also be set
aside out of each years taxation for
the payment of bonds at their matur-
ity, said sinking fund should be de-
posted each year with reliable banks
in our county and state and l pre-
sumo they would gladly receive the
same and pay Cobb county at least
four per cent per annum for said
funds. The accrued interest on said
sinking fund would nearly or quite
pay the interest on the bonds. By
this method at the expiration of 80
years the accrued interest on sinking
fund would nearly balance against
the interest paid on bonds. Even if
the accrued interest on sinking fund
should only pay two thirds of the in
terest on the bonds this plan would
be much cheaper on the tax payers of
our county than they are now pay
ing with our present method of rails
ing funds. With bonds adopted for
permanent road building only with
strict and economical management
of our prisoners and the finances of
our county under this method | be-
lieve we can keep 70 prisoners on
permanent road work and let out to
the lowest bidder all the other pub
lie roads of the county to be worked
thoroughly by free labor at least
once or twice during each year, ac-
cording to plans and specifications
made by our commissioners for said
work. l think the plan for raising
funds by issuing bonds would save at
lecst twenty or twenty-five thousand
dollars annually to the tax payers of
Cobb county, and this kind of sad
die would suit most of us, both in
1 n Wiz "