The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1914-08-29
SENATOR BRYAN'S
GOOD ROADS BILL


the substitute bill, revised and re-
ported by Senator Bryan to the Sen
ate, with the purpose of giving fed
eral aid to good roads.
Senator Bryan, as a democrat and
a Southerner, is naturally careful of
states rights. He is also an exceed
ingly careful lawyer, and it is notice
able that measures he frames and
supports generally stand the test of
the courts. So this bill OF his seems
to the Star to be as, good measure
as Congress can pass, and we hope it
will go through without amendment
1t has long been felt that federal
aid to good roads was one of the
things most needed in this country.
It would greatly facilitate the work
and bring about in few years a sys-
tematic plan of highways, which will
be much better than the delay and
piecemeal work that will be the best
the Individual states can do.
The following from the st. Pc
tersburg Times is a very good de-
scription in detail of the bill:
Senator Bryan, from the commit
tee on postoff1ces and post roads, has
reported a substitute for a bill re-
Gently passed by the House, provid-
ing that the United States in certain
cases shall aid the states in road
building. The Bryan substitute pro-
vides for the creation of United
States highway fund and for that
purpose it proposes the issue and
sale, in July, 1918, of fifty-year three
exceed in amount five hundred mill
ion dollars and that the money so
raised be apportioned among states
that have or will establish state
made up of the following considera-
tions: Area. population, assessed
valuation and road mileage, popula-
ton, assessed valuation and road of
the states is made to averaging them.
Under this basis Florida's allotment
would he four and three-quarter mil
lion dollars.
The bin provides that any state
applying for an allotment of this
money shall deposit with the treas
urer of the United States its fifty
four year four per cent bonds for
the amount of its allotment. Three
per cent of this four per cent will
meet the interest paid on United
States bonds and the remaining one
per cent will go into sinking fund
which with the interest at four per
cent for an average period of twenty
five years would be sufficient to re-
tire the state and federal bonds. Nc
state can get more than one-ifth OF
its allotment in any one year. The
money so raised is to be spent under
the direction of the state highway
commission.
The Tmes-Union, commenting or
the bill, says: There are many de
| tails of the bill which cannot be ex
pressed more briefly than they are
expressed in the bill and as the mere
statement of the bill would take III
more than a column more detail:
are not attempted.
1t would be seen from this tha
the Bryan bill does not provide fol
federal aid in road building except tt
| the extent of lending the credit o.
the general government to the state!
for that purpose. The bill is intend
ed to safeguard the rights of the
states and prevent any risk of los:
by the federal government.
The Tmes-Union thinks interes
in road building would be increased
by the passage of this bill and unde
its operation road building would b,
more honestly, intelligentIy ant
economically conducted. 1t wouIt
also enable the states to borrow tn
money for this purpose at three pc
cent instead of for four or five, Will
four per cent is the interest the stat
bonds would bear, one per cen
| would go to the payment of the prin
cipal
There could be no scramble 70