The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1916-01-03
OWNERS OF AUTOS
IN FLORIDA SLOW
IN PAYING TAXES
ALL WANT GOOD ROADS, BUT
FEW WILLING TO ASSIST IN
MAINTAINING GOOD ROADS
DEPARTMENT.
BY j. P. CLARKsON,
Secretary Florida State Good Roads
Association.


and every driver of an automobile,
or other motor propelled vehicle,
wants good roads and the majority
of them are frequently heard to de-
clare that they are perfectly willing
to pay their share of the cost and
up-keep.
At the same time, it is fact that
many of these owners fail to pay,
or put off paying as long as possible,
the county license tax on automobiles
and other motor driven vehicles.
They do not seem to realize that
the monies derived from the license
tax on automobiles goes into the road
and bridge fund of the respective
counties and that every dollar is spent
directly or indirectly upon the roads
and bridges of the counties.
The longer the delay in paying the
license tax on automobiles the smaller
| the amount of money each county has
to apply to the construction and main
tenance of its roads and bridges.
There is no direct state license tax
on motor driven vehicles. There is
cent of such license tax collected in
each county shall be RENTED to the
state treasurer and kept in a special
fund for the maintenance of the state
road department.
The only funds appropriated for
the maintenance of this department.
the state road department, created by
s-1~ se
per cent of the county license tax
on automobiles and other motor
driven vehicles.
For years the advocates of good
roads in Florida have been working
to secure the enactment of state
road department. Now the depart
ment has been created but unless the
owners of automobiles pay their
license taxes the state road depart
ment will have no funds to use IN
defraying the necessary expenses Of
the department.
Nearly everyone will admit that
there is a woeful lack of system in
road construction and in road main
tenance in the counties of the state.
This is caused largely through the
failure of the counties to secure COM
petent engineers to lay out compre-
hensive system of roads-a system
that starts somewhere and goes some
where-and to prepare plans and
specifications for road building as
we'll as to see that the same are
properly carried out.
Funds Are Lacking.
In many counties the failure to
secure such engineering advice and
supervision has been due to the lack
of funds to pay the cost. In some
counties, however, bonds have been
issued and plenty of money raised,
but the roads have been built by con-
tractors without proper engineering
supervision.
In this one particular alone the
state road department can and will
be of great and valuable assistance
to the counties which are DESTROYS of
securing expert engineering advice
and assistance in the construction of
road systems.
In the act creating the state road
department it is provided that: In
all cases where the county commits
sioners of the several counties shall
request the advice and assistance of
the department in the construction
or repair of roads, the department
shall whenever practical send the
state road commissioner, or an as
sistant, into such county and render
all assistance practical in the prem
ises without expense to the county
except that the actual travelling ex-
penses of the commissioner or assist
ant shall be paid by the county re-
questing such special service"
The delay Of the state road depart
ment in appointing state road COM
missioner is largely due to the lack
of funds RENTED to the state treas
urer by the various counties for the
maintenance of the department. All
owners of automobiles in every coun-
ty in the state should pay their coun-
tv automobile license tax promptly.
This is the only license tax that goes
into the road and bridge fund of thef
counties and for the maintenance of
the SNdbG LNE@a QHpGESAlGnGs Unless
there is sufficient amount paid into
the fund for the maintenance of the
department to warrant the employ
ment of q state road commissioner
the department will not secure the
services of such official.
All automobile license taxes have
been due since October 1. In some of
the counties the tax collectors have
been very lenient and have not in
sisted upon the payment of this tax.
The first of the New Year is now here
and these county officials are being
reminded by the state officials to
whom they have to report that three
months Of the license tax year have
passed and that it is time for them