The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1917-06-20
County to Improve It's Part
of Road Between the
BayOus.
APPEARS
BEFORE BOARD
Station and Fort Are the
Greatest Assets of
Pensacola.

As result of the appearance Of
Il committee of citizens before the
board Of county commissioners Tues
DAY morning, it was decided that inn
mediate steps would be taken to place
the cOunty's part Of the road to the
government reservation in good con-
dition, and work started with a view
Of paving the road between the Little
and Zig Bayou with gravel and clay.
The committee was composed of
James White, W. ~. Watson. f.
Hunter Brown, r. M. Cary and r. F.
MITCHELL and after the regular bust
ness had been transacted requested
hearing on the road proposition.
Mr.. White first addressed the board,
stating that something should be
{ done at once to place the road in good
condition. Not only is the work in the
interest of the aeronautic station and
the forts, he said, but the farmers liv-
ing west of Pensacola will derive
much benefit, as will the residents of
the small settlements on the govern
ment reservation. Many trade in Pen
! sac0la and more would if proper
, transportation was afforded.
Mr.. White called attention to The
value of having the aeronautic sta
ton situated at Pensacola, and to the
/ large amount nf work being done
there, giving employment TO many in
{ Pensacola who would otherwise be
idle. Other cities, he said, are max
ing efforts to take the aeronautic
station from Pensacola. and unless
/ conditions of communication are bet
] tered, the complaint of the officers
! will operate against Pensacola.
Continuing, Mr.. White stated that
he was reliably informed that if the
county paved its part of the road, the
government would Immediately pave
that part of the road from the bayou
4 bridge to the reservation. Indeed,
! he said, it was believed to have been
the intention of the authorities to
pave the entire road, county part and
all, but that the outbreak of war
forced them to abandon the plan.
AS to financeering the proposition,
Mr.. White set the cost at about $780,
600, half of which would fall to the
city. A bond issue was suggested and
so was the creation of a Special road
district for Pensacola.
Col. R. NJ. Cary then spoke in favor
of the plan and also stressed The ne
! cesslty for immediate action. There
! is no denying the fact" said Col
] Cary, "the shipping in Pensacola is
/ dead. This is no paper war we are
4 In, it will not be over in a month, or
few months, but in my opinion will
last five or Sin years. If it were not
for the navy yards and forts. many
people in Pensacola would be starving
today, for those who were formerly
supported by the shipping have been
/ forced to look to other fields for
living"
Col. Cary then showed how neces-
sary it is to- conserve the resources
we now have, and not run the risk
/ of having the station again closed
/ because of bad, and at times, i'm d.
! passable roads. Right now" he said,
'the aeronautic station is Pensacola
/ biggest asset, and Pensacola is the
county's biggest asset. While there
will probably be some opposition in
other parts of the county to bond
/ ing the entire county to make this
/ local improvement, that is no reason
why it should not be done. Create
| the city into a special road district
| if necessary, but let's fix that road
and do it quick"
! 1t was pointed out that to create
| special tax district for that purpose,
! the law requires the signatures of
! 20 per cent of all the qualified voters
! in each precinct, of the area affected,
/ on a petition to create the district.
! After the district is created, an cleo
/ ton must be held to vote on the bond
! issue, which would take much time.
Until some plan can be decided upon
and estimate made of the cost, the
district proposition will be held open.
Though concrete was suggested for
the work of paving the road, Col.
Cary stated that he believed that
gravel would be cheaper and better.
The county owns a gravel pit near
| Cantonment, and if transportation can
be arraged, it will be merely ques-
ton of hauling it to the road and
resurfacing it with the gravel-clay
preparation. As soon as it is packed,
and we'll drained, it affords an ex-
cellent surface as durable as con-
| crete, and not as injurious to tires, or
/ to the feet of animals To investi-
Il gate the matter of securing transpor-
tation, a committee composed of
4 Chairman White and Commissioners
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