The Palatka news and advertiser., 1917-12-28
THE PROPOSED HARD
SURFACED HIGHWAY
Through Fruitland Peninsu-
lar-lts Cost, it's Need
and as Aid to Growth.
written for The News by
w. f. Glynn.)

AiiN SoiioUi uSIioil VI IiiS IOdu Will Ue
entirely under the supervision of the
State Road Department. This De-
partment composed of five members,
all able and conscientious men, who
are appointed by the Governor and
serve without pay. Mr.. Ed. Scott, of
Arcadia, is chairman, and the other
members are Mr.. M. M. Smith of Or
lando, Capt. W. j. Hillman of Live
Oak, Mr.. j. 4. Gilbert of Jackson
vile, and Mr.. J. D. Smith of Mariana.
All OF these gentlemen have given and
are giving great deal of their time, /
at considerable personal sacrifice, to
the work of building up a system of
good roads for the State of Florida.
The State Road Commissioner, Mr..
VIM. F. Cooke. is an engineer of abili-
ty and experience, and was connected !
with the State Road Department of
Virginia before coming to Florida.
Mr. Cooke is the executive officer of
the Department, and is live, up-to-
date man, and knows his business.
! The taxable valuation of the dis
trict is estimated at $1,000,000. The
proposed bond issue is $160,00O, bear
ing interest at six per cent. 1t is
provided in the plan for retiring the
bonds, as outlined in the advertise
ment of the election, that no bonds
shall be retired until the fourth year.
This plan was adopted in order to
make the tax as low as possible for
the first three years. 1t is expected
, that the road will be completed in two
! years. Taking the amount of taxa
bic property as $1,000,0O0, the millage
required to pay the interest on the to-
tai issue of bonds will be 9 Cloth mills
per year. Therefore the tax for the
: first three years will not be more than
e 9 6-10 mills per year. In the fourth
:. year $4,000 of the bonds are to be re-
: tired and the millage increases to on
n ly to II 6-10 mills. From that year
: on the amount of bonds retired is
h gradually increased each year, but ow-
g ing to the decrease in the amount of
interest, caused by the retirement of
bonds each year, the millage, while
=, varying slightly from year to year,
- averages only 13 S-100 mills per year
20 The advantage of this plan of retiring
~ few of the bonds each year, begin
- ming with the fourth year. is that in
~ ~ 50 doing no sinking fund is required
D and the taxpayers money will not
= lie on deposit in the bank. drawing
80 only 4 per cent interest, while accu-
90 muating to nav off large amount
of bonds at infrequent intervals, the
y, money costing US per cent all the
n time it's accomplishing. The inter
fo +bo toy IN ~
fe yearly payment plan adopted for tn
'l- bond issue is a very considerable SUI
OF of money.
re Furthermore it is believed and tn
re experience of other Counties wal
Id rants the belief. that as soon as tn
ic road is built-which will be before tn
retirement of the bonds begins-eVe
:. as soon as the road is assured, neN
~ settlers will come in, land val lues vii
81 increase. making more taxable valua
VI ton, and. of course, the more the coun
~ try is settled up and improved ant
W land values increase, the more tn
e, mi1lage will be reduced.
IL That part of the road which is t.
e have asphalt surface will be 9 fee
/ wide. but there is to be clay shoul
S, der 4 feet wide on each side of the
II asphalt. making the total width OF
the road II feet.
: The men who have been working on
i this road proposition now for two or
: three years believe it is of vital i'm
n portance to the district They are not
: trying to put anything over on their
neighbors. All of them are tax pay
v ers, some of them large taxpayers.
, Their homes their interests are here
, And they are supported in their be-
lief that the people want this road
, by the fact that the people say so
themselves. They believe that the
fact that it will be built under the su-
= pelvison of the State Road Depart
ment assures the people of a good SER
vicpabIe road, and that there will be
no waste of taxpayers money. And
being so constructed by the State
Road Department makes it State
Road. and that Department, conse-
ouentIy, will see that it is maintained;
and it is worth a good deal to know
that after we get road 1t Will be
maintained.
II has been suggested by someone,
that the road ought not to be under
taken now on az, cunt of the war. On |
tbe contrary the war for many rea-
/ cons embassies the need of good
roads. In order to carry on the war
the government must have money and
the money must come from the people,
and if the people continue to be able
70 supply the money business all over
the Country must go on unlnterrupt-
edIv. Ffuitland Peninsula is at
standstill, and the tide OF travel and
the thousands of new settlers coming
into the state pass us by and go to
districts where they have good roads
and other evidences of progress and
growth. The government does not
desire the people to stand still be-
cause we are at war, nor does 1T de-
sire that road improvements be dis
continued-especiallv road like this /.
one which is the shortest and most :
direct road from Jacksonville to Tam :
pa. As soon as the Putnam County ;
link and that in the northern part of =.
Volusia County are completed (and /,
VoIusia Countv's petition for a bondN !,
election was signed bv nearly every
voter in the district) this road will be
hard surfaced the entire distance. ard
the government surely would be in
terested to have it completed. Fur r