The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-05-16
BUTTEG IN BY REQUEST

\ few months ago The Tines
Union having heard that Polk coUn-
y, one Of the most prosperous and
progressive in the state, had never
issued any bond, referred 70 the
county editorisIly il highly com
nendaJoTy terms. We were told By
one who assumed to b the spokes-
man Of the county 70 attend 70 OH
own business ana not NEEDLE wiki
the affairs Of Polk county. Now We
have received from one who must Re
presumed 10 speak for 2 consider
able number Of voters IN the county
q statement a. TO the county's plans
for road building with request thai
We discuss them ediIorially. This IS
naturally pulling. We feel like com
plying with a reasonable request and
if We are again supposed 10 be med
dlesome We hope those who feel cour-
teously inclined to inform Us OF that
fact will blame the man who has
requested Us 10 butt in. and We will
give his name if desired.
The county commissioners Of Polk
have made contracts for building 2l7
miles Of sheet asphalt roads on clay
foundation Each road is specific
and its cost is specified in the con-
tract. An election will be held on
the first Of June TO decide whether
TO issue z million and half dollars
worth Of bonds 10 pay for these
roads, the contracts made being e.
tecriye if the majority is for bonds
and cancelled if the majority Is ad-
verse
( Aside from the fact that We have
/ been reproved for butting in We have
never interfered with advice and do
not propose TO interfere in the fiscal
affairs Of another county than the
one in which the Times-Tnion is
published We have no advice to Of
fer as to whether the people Of Polk
should vote for or against bonds
The county has made remark
able record and has attracted wide
spread attention by accomplishin :
what il has done without incurrin 2
a dollar Of debt but this is no reas-
on why it should not 20 into deb, if
il wishes 10 get something more
than worth the money and hasn't the
money 10 pay down The people Of
polk, whom we judge from their past
record to be very capable should de-
eide for themselves whether the i'm
proyements proposed are worth 20.
ing in debt for and the fact that they
are not already in debt instead Of
being reason why they should not
90 in now is a reason why they car
afford 10 do so.
From the plans sent US we fee
sure that the money will be honest
~ expended and that there are M
real estate jobs in it such as have
been heard Of not more than FIT,
The map shows that the plans ar
, thousand miles from Jacksonville
, intended TO come as near as posi-
bic 10 serving all parts of the count,
instead Of building speedways TO
JOY riders as has been heard of TO
, fifty thousand miles from Jackson
Vile A strong feature of the bon,
i proposal is that il makes provision
$ for the payment of the bonds as the
5 mature and the calculation indicate
! that the payment will not be burden
: some II is about as fair an appear
: ing bond proposal as any we have c.
s er seen-just such as one would ex
: pect from the county that had hate
2 debt enough TO stay out. Whethe
2 the people Of Polk want to continu
TO pay as they 90 or want these road
badly enough TO go in debt FIR ther
: is for them TO say. -Jacksonvill
{ Times-Union.