The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1916-03-30
VOX POPULI
EsCAMBIA FORTUNATE IN
GETTING HIGHWAY ENGINEER
,~~AAA~NA~AAAAA~ !
Camp Walton, Fla, March "a


given to the public regarding roads
by Mr.. Burrell, highway engineer,
and regard it as fortunate that he has
been called on to canvass the situa-
ton regarding roads in Escambia
count. His having done so gives the
people some reliable information, to
which they were entitled before vot-
ing a road bond issue.
[ do not, however, endorse the
building of concrete road from PEN
sacola to Nunez ferry, but I do en-
dorse most strongly the building of
the bridge across Perdido river there.
have recently travelled the road
to Nunez ferry, and it is a good road,
of course not as good as a concrete
road, but good, and it can be kept
| good, at a cost less than the inter
est on the one hundred fifty thou
sand at which Mr.. Burrell estimates
the cost of a concrete road, probably
for one-fourth the cost of this inter
est.
have very serious doubts of the
wisdom of Escambia county raising
one million dollars by bonding, and
spending it on one hundred miles of
concrete roads and the needful bridges
to accommodate them as estimated
by Mr.. Burrell. I doubt the wis
dom of Escambia county spending
much money on concrete roads, under
present prevailing conditions.
Good, well-built concrete roads, and
if built at all they should be well
built, cost approximately ten times
as much per mile as we'll built sand
clay roads, under existing conditions
in Escambia county, and under those
conditions I think they lack a very
great deal Of being ten times as valu-
able.
True, it costs quite bit to keep
sand-clay roads in good condition; it
likewise costs considerable to keep
concrete roads in condition, besides
the interest on their first cost. There
is no good reason why sand-clay
roads should not be kept in condition,
except the cost of doing it, but it
should be done, and may be done at
no very heavy expense for repairs.
Escambia county certainly needs a
considerable part of one million dol
lars for greatly needed bridges. I
am not sufficiently familiar with the
roads generally in the county, or the
lack of them, to even guess how much
is needed to give the county good
sand-clay roads on all of her main
thoroughfares, I believe she should
have them. There should be provided
good permanent bridges and culverts,
wherever bridges and culverts are
needed.
Wherever it is needful to do grad
ing to make any main highway fairly
disable that should be done. I thor
oughly believe in good roads, and in
bonding to procure them; but, do
not believe that under present condi-
lions it will be wise for Escambsa
county to bond herself for the build
ing of much If any such expensive
roads as concrete, although I do be-
lieve that among all of the so-called
''hard roads" concrete is in the long
run the best and cheapest.
My advice would be to bond the
county for enough to build the Per-
= dido bridge, perhaps more than one
, to build the Ferry pass bridge and al
other needed bridges and culverts
and to make all of the main roads
: in the county good sand-clay roads
and stop at that, be it half million
or more, then to use the money thai
would have to go to paying Interest
: on more bonds in keeping those road!
in good repair.
l am thoroughly convinced that un
der present conditions Escambis
- county can very i'll afford to pay APP
proximately seven hundred Thousand
dollars for one hundred miles of con
crete roads. There will be altogethel
too little travel on them to warran
the interest charged.
This interest charge will approx
mate forty-five thousand dollars pc
q year. Well built sand-clay roads, o
such material as may be had in tn
5 county are good roads, when kept il
good repair.
= When the population of the count,
has quadrupled, which | believe vii
> be before very many years, she ca,
afford the concrete roads, but at thi
time she cannot.
q, Voters of Escambia county do NO
4 take this as an argument agains
S bonding the county for the sake c
having good roads. I am heartily i
favor of that, and it is possible tha
e the first class bridges, cuIverts an
e sand-clay roads needed might absor
=, the million. think it would be we
J if you will have Mr.. Burrell make a
l. estimate of the cost of the needle
d bridges, culverts and sand-cIay road
i then have your county commissioner
. let you vote on two propositions; or
e for the million dollar bonds, to be pl
into one hundred miles of concret
roads and bridges to accommodate
= them; the other for the amour