The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1916-06-30
REPORT FROM
.BURRELL ON
COUNTY ROADS
Senior Highway Engineer
Indicates Some of the
Present Day Needs
PRESENT SYSTEM
IS UNSATISFACTORY
Recommends an Adjust
ment of Tax Values on
More Equipable Basis

Senior Highway Engineer G. H.
Burrell's report on permanent road .
system for Escambia county indicates I
that the present needs of the county
are well taken care of at this time, +
but that the roads of the county have /
not been properly maintained. He
stresses the importance of a paved /
systematic dragging scheme, and the
employment of thoroughly compe-
tent engineer with long highway ex-
perience and assistance. He presents
budget which provides for COM
petent engineer and an efficient road
working force and equipment. All
the work can be done at cost con-
siderable less than was spent last
year. He calls attention to the fact
that there has been no general system
of roads work in the county, and that
approximately $50 miles have been
improved at cost ranging from 5000
to $4,000 per mile.
"In the present state of sentiment
in the county it does not seem prob
able that $4,000 yearly for road
| construction and maintenance could
be raised without storm of protest,
although nearly 100000 was spent
last year"
Mr.. Burrell states the construction
of an expensive system of roads
would prove of great value in devel-
oping the vast area of cut over tim
Der lands, but, that this phase of the,
matter does not deserve great con-
sideration, as the large holdings are
not paying their just proportion of
the taxes. An examination of the
county tax books showing that prac-
tically all the large holders are as
sessed from one to three dollars per
acre, while the greater part of the
small farms are assessed from ten
to fifteen dollars per acre, improve
ments excluded.
An adjustment of tax values on
more equitable basis should be made.
"a million dollar bond issue is not
justified by present development, al
though certain amount of construc-
ton is entirely justified at the present
time"
| The report of United States Senior
Highway Engineer G. H. Burrell to
the county commissioners, on the in
vestigation of the county roads was
Thursday filed with the clerk, and
offers many suggestions for the i'm
provements to be made under the
bond issue, for which an election has
been called Novcmber z. Mr.. Burrell
was brought here at the instigation
of the commissioners, and on April s
conducted a thorough investigation of
! the conditions in the county. It is
his report and the recommendations
made by him for the expenditures
that the commissioners will be guild
. ed by in disbursing road funds.
In summing up the reasons for the
elaborate system planned Mr.. BurreI
F states: 1.-THE justification of this ex-
/ tensive system lies in the fact that
: from Pass Christian and Gulfport
j Miss, to st. Petersburg, Fla, there
is no single point where a develop
ment for tourists has been made as
yet: and if Pensacola desires to draw
first profits from such development
/, good highways must be built all the
! way to the county line regardless Of
the present needs"
Continuing, he stated that prelim
mary conferences with the board Of
a county commissioners, the Pensacola
e Rotary Club and the Chamber o.
), Commerce and various prominent cit
S liens revealed the fact that the points
: on which advice was most needed
|. was: First, the selection Of a system
: Of trunk roads Ito be built by bont
s issue), which would give access t
S surrounding counties and serve gen
; eral county needs; second, the typ
of county highway best adapted t
a the counties needs, both present ant
! future; third, an approximate est
mate of the cost of improving tn
= trunk roads so designated; fourth,
tentative scheme for secondary sys
TEN of sand-clay roads built from tn
regular county highway funds, and
fifth, tentative scheme for maintain
? ing the entire system.
e In order to advise intelligently
Is was necessary to inspect the existin.
IL roads of the county, and to locate a
5 nearly as possible the sources %
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