The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1915-03-12

estimated that these roads could b(
shortened several miles by straighten
ing the curves and cutoffs in variou.
places. AS before stated, it has beer
estimated that this system of roads car
be built for $4,000 Some OF the advo
Gates of this system of roads hope thai
under the new State Highway Law one
half of the cost of about 30 miles o.
these roads will be refunded to the
county. This is not at all improbable
and in that event the system of roads
would cost less than $SOO,000
To build this system of roads it will
be necessary for the Legislature to pass
an act authorizing Obion County to
issue and sell $500, 900 worth of 5 per
cent bonds. These bonds would be
easily sold for the reason that such
are always in demand by capitalists who
deal in this sort OF securities.
Quite large number of the best peo-
pie and the most intelligent people and
the tax payers and business men and
farmers of Obion County are strongly
in favor of proceeding promptly with
the matter of building this system of
roads and it is believed that the same
can be done at the price mentioned and
that it would be the greatest enterprise
that the people of Obion County could
ever enter into. On the other hand a
number of the citizens have strongly
urged the objection to the building OF
this system of roads; that the roads
would cost too much; that $4,000 is
so great sum that the people of Obion
County could never pay it; that to issue
and sell this amount of bonds would
be placing debt upon the county which
could never be paid. In the language
of one of these objections, it would be
saddling debt upon the unborn gen.
erations that they could never pay"
The people who make these objections
say that, Of course, these roads would
be fine to have but it would be a bad
policy to go into debt for so large sum
Of money for the reasons stated. If
;hese objections are we'll founded, OF
course the roads should not be built.
Eight hundred thousand dollars would |
De small debt for Obion County to
1--WE. 1t would be very small debt
to the value of the property
q Obion County. The assessed value
# the property in the county is approx
mately $12,000,000; its actual value
S three and one-third times what it is
ssessed at, or $40, 100000. These are
zig figures, but Obion County is big
ounty, and rich one. The real value
t the property in Obion County is
asily $40, 100000 so that an $500, 900
ebt would only be 2 per cent of the
alue OF the property in the county. A
Itizen who owns farm worth $4,000
ould owe debt in the same proper
on If his Indebtedness amouted to $50;
he owner of farm worth SIS, 900 would
we debt of the same proportion il
is Indebtedness amounted to 800;
ian owning a SO, 900 farm would owe
debt in the same proportion if his in
sbtedness amounted to 5000. Eight
lndred thousand dollars sounds large
an individual, but to the great rich
'unty of Obion it is a small debt
to only 2 per cent of the
al value of the property. That we
IoULD NOT BUILD THIS SYSTEM OF MAIN
NE MACADAMIzED ROADS for the unborn
which are yet to come, when
e cost is so small, may BE WRONG.
This is not an individual matter, it is
county proposition, and the size and
agnitude and the wealth of the whole
unity must be considered in determin-
9 whether the cost of the proposed
ads is large or small. The absolute
lth is that an $500, 900 debt to Obiou
unity would be very small debt, and
e that could be easily paid.
Within the last year few concrete
dyes have been built in Obion County
ich will last for many years, and with
S exception there has been no perma-
1T road improvement made in 0bion
unity within the memory of the old
citizen.
From year to year and from gener-
On to generation for nearly one hum
d years temporary Improvements
re been made, cheap bridges have
N constructed and dirt roads have