The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1914-04-10
WHAT GOOD ROADS WOULD
MEAN TO FLORIDA

lo~oNAOAo oA z llddC dS 10 the
ance of the building of a good road
connecting Jacksonville and the West
Coast at Tampa. The cost is reported
would be exceedingly small in proper
ton to the good to be accomplished
but while the state and the counties
between Jacksonville and Tampa are
considering such proposition as this
attention should also be given on the
East Coast of Florida to a through
road connecting Jacksonville and Mi
ami. There are fairly good stretches
of road between Jacksonville and
Tampa and between Jacksonville and
Miami, but their value is largely de-
stroyed by the fact that they are not
connected up.
While Florida is studying the prop.
osition for a network of great high.
ways throughout the state, these two
propositions are worthy Of immediate
consideration by the counties through
which these roads would run. 1t 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 unbroken
line of automobiles to be seen On
these roads during the entire winter.
New England with its splendid
roads and its fine summer climate,
draws tens of thousands of motorists
who annually leave in that section
many millions of dollars. Indeed, it
has been carefully estimated by rail-
road men that the tourist business
YIELDS to New England an annual crop
OF $60,000,000. This is probably con-
sentative estimate. Moreover, it is in
creasing more rapidly probably than
any other crop in the country. New
England does not appeal to the motor
list for a summer trip SO strongly as
Florida would appeal to the motorist
for a winter trip if two main high
ways, we'll constructed existed in
Florida, one down the East Coast and
one to the West Coast.
The tourist business to Florida is
capable of indefinate development. 1t
is possible by active work on the part
of the people and the railroads to
easily quadruple the tourist travel to
that state, as great as it now is. The
most powerful factor in accomplish
ing this would be good roads. There
ought to be good roads all over Flor
ida connecting up every county-seat,
but in the meantime two main high
ways such as suggested wopld be
worth annually many millions of dol
lars to the whole state. On these
roads a motorist would scarcely ever
be out of sight of another automo-
bile, for Florida is pre-eminently the
predestined great winter-tourist point
and playground and health-invigorat-
ing region for the people 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 viii the state
reap this rich harvest. The draining
of the Everglades is great piece OF
work, fraught with great possibilities
for the wealth of the state, but the
draining of the Everglades is of small
Importance to Florida as compared
with the results that would follow the
building of these two first-class high.
Manufacturers Record.
Judge w. S. Bullock, of Ocala, has
been urged by his friends TO run for
congress in the second district but
has declined TO do so. The Gkeliest
wager for opposition to Congressman
Frank Clark is Dannitte Mays or
Monticello, who is now scouting about
the district to see what the chances
are. Mr.. Mays has been in congress
from the third district. before the
passage of the redlStrlctlng act, anu
seems 10 like it well enough to try
again.-Orlando Sentinel
Judge Bullock, much to the the
regret of his friends, declines to enter
the race. AS 90 per cent of the dis
trict is rural it does look as If such
a practical farmer and one who has
had the legislative experience of
Dannitte Mays, both as a member OF
the legislature and as congressman
would have easy sailing. Then
too. his record is not at all vulner-
able He would make an ideal can
didate for the times.
Mr. Walter Ellison was in town on
Monday. and SAYS that he would not