The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1916-12-12

be present Mr.. Clarkson before be-
ginning the paper told how of the
$4,000. Florida's share of the nation
al highway appropriation for this
year, most of it was being spent on
the Spanish Trail, OskaIoosa county
would get $4,000, Columbia county,
$4,000; Baker county, $4,000; Mas
sau, $4,000; each putting up an equal
amount. Next yea the Spanish Trail
will get $4,000 of the federal APP
preparation.
The State Highway Association
has logged and mapped upwards of
1000 miles of roads in Florida with
in the past six months.
Mr.. Cookies Address.
Mr.. Cooke, in his paper, stressed
the Importance of building according
to the volume of traffic, and advised
30foot roads. The volume of traf-
fig is to be computed very much as
tonnage on proposed railroad is es-
timated. To build weaker than the de-
mands require is to lose money on
continued repairs; to build stronger,
is to make an unnecessary investment.
He urged the necessity of state CEN
tralization of road building and main
tenance in the following words:
Capitalization of Road Work.
In this state the main east and west
highway between Pensacola and
Jacksonville generally known as the
Old Spanish Trail, is approximately
395 miles in length and passes
through Is separate counties in that
distance. If the county is to be the
administrative unit the prospect of
securing a uniform standard of con-
struction is not encouraging and the
prospect of uniform maintenance is so
remote as to appear almost a hope
less dream. Not only each county,
but each separate district along the
line of the road referred to will, under
our present system, constitute a sep
arate and distinct unit, each working
upon its own individual scheme or
maintenance, largely under the SUI
pervision of entirely inexperienced
and unframed men.
"The general tendency Of this age
is toward Capitalization and a great
many authorities advocate extending
the powers of the federal government
so as to take in the control of all
forms of transportation, including the
through interstate highways. While
this may develop into a reality in
some future day, it - very clear. that
i it is not practical basis on which
to handle the highway work at this
time. Our country is so large and
has yet so many vast areas of un.
developed land that system of fed
eral supervision would be cumber.
some and expensive. This fact was
realized by the trainers of the Bank,
head act, when they provided for the
federal aid for roads to be expended
under properly controlled state super
vision.
cit would therefore appear tina
the state is the logical and the only
logical administrative unit for high
way work. This has been shown il
a systematic manner. The state car
effect an untold saving in overhead
cost and at the same time keep it.
work up to some recognized
standard"
Peter Tomasello Speaks.
Peter Tomasello, of Milton, thu
Nestor of West Florida, always has
something interesting to say and ha'
coinciding way of putting it, anC
told about the Ferry Pass bridg'
plans, which he said were in a gooc
way and the bridge was practically
realized already. Build as good {
road as you can, he said, and thu
country would so appreciate in value
that the additional taxes available
would be enough to build the fines
road in the country.
The West Florida Spirit.
S. A. Leblanc, of Mobile, elicitet
applause when, he said that "if every
body had the spirit of West Florida
the Spanish Trail would have beel
built long ago."
Get Rid of Politics.
John Craft, of Mobile, member o
the State Highway Commission o
Alabama, delivered an impromptl
talk in which he urged the importanc
of getting road building out of poll
tics and localism. Organize the auto
mobile owners and agents to he'll
you, he said. Wear and tear, an
extra gasoline and oil needed by a
automobile on bad roads amount t
$500 year, he said, illustrating tn
terrible waste of bad roads.
$500 Year on autos.
]. D. Smith, of Mariana, secretar
of the road board, was the thir
speaker of the evening to stress tn
necessity of taking road building on
of local control. One. county woul
J build roads, another wouldn't; agar
the poiics.s of successive count