Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-11-20
ROAD BONDS WILL
BE A REAL ASSET
County Treasurer Says FL
nances Are in Good Shape
at Present Time.
MAYOR MAKES STATEMENT
Highway Commissioners of c.
of c.. Believe Vote Will
Be Unanimous.

Tulsa county can carry the million
ond three quarters bond issue for good
roads without feeling it," declared
County Treasurer Ed Dalton yester-
day.
He had lust footed up the balance in
the county treasury. which. at the end
of the days business, was S556,000,
more than enough TO pay every cent of
Indebtedness the county owes and
then have $4,000 surplus.
with a property valuation Of $685.
O0O,05O Tulsa county's de5tedness
amounts to virtually nothing" said
Treasurer Dalton. considering her
enormous wealth, the county's indebt-
edness bears a very small proportion
to its resources. Very few counties In
the United States are in rs good fina"-
cial condition.
"Our Indebtedness is about bali a
million dollars but We have $4,000 In
the sinking funo, so that actdally we
owe but a little over 100000.
Not a Liability.
"The good roads bonds ought TO
carry They should not be looked up
on as mere liability for they will be
the greatest asset the county could
have"
about per cent OF it's total property
valuation. 1t is doubtful IL there is
as wealthy a county in the country
that has any improvements at all that
has such small Indebtedness
Mayor James II. Simmons is an en-
thusiastic advocate of the good roads
bond proposition and believes 1t will
carry.
Everybody should vote for the
bonds" he said, 'for a complete sys-
TEN of good roads radiating from
Tulsa to all parts OF the county
would be the greatest thing for the
city and for the county as a whole.
Tulsa county Is so rich that the bonds
could be carried without any tax
payer feeling the burden, and good
roads would pay for themselves in
very short time. The saving in re-
pairs to automobilists and to farm
ers in ten years would more than pay
all the interest.
Helps Everyone.
81 believe the people will vote the
bonds because | can't see any reason
for voting against them. The farm
ers should heartily support the bonds
for no class of people will benefit so
much as they from good roads. Busi-
ness men should support them be-
cause taken all together the network
of fine roadways running out of the
city will be worth more than new
railroad. And the turning loose of
nearly s2,000,000 during the next two
months will mean a great deal in
business way. Virtually all this money
will be turned loose in Tulsa county
and most of 1t will come to Tulsa.
Automobiles should support them
because they need good roads for
driveways into the country and be-
cause good roads would save them a
great deal of money they now have
to pay out on repairs.
The proposition is just this: Tulsa
county may be likened to a big fl
nancial institution that needs a lot of
money for betterments and improve
ments. Here is a big banking con-
Germ that offers to advance the
money at cheap rate of interest and
give thirty years in which to pay
back the loan.
This is the way the great indus
trial enterprises, like railroads and
steel mills, do business.
Simply Good Business.
"Tulsa county might be likened to
these. 1t is big institution that
needs money with which to build
roads. Here is big bonding house
that proposes to lend us the money
at low rate of interest and give us
25 years in which to pay back the
loan.
I'VE get the money and get the
roads at once and enjoy them and
have 20 years to return the loan.
We are just finding a good friend who
lends us money with which to do
business"
There Is no doubt that the issue
will carry" T.. Bee Guthrey. highway
commissioner of the Chamber of Com
merce, said. "In general, | look for
those interested to work hard for the
success of the election all day, while
the few who are against 1t will remain
silent. / may be wrong, but l have
obtained the impression that 1t is not
exceedingly popular to be strongly
against the ISSUE"
Predictions were made by county
officials that the total vote cast will
be about 1000. Sixty per cen. of the
total vote cast Is necessary to make
the issue valid.
I'VE are giving the people of the
county the chance to say whether
they want permanent roads" w. l..
North, chairman of the board of
county commissioners, said yesterday.
1--WE have planned the proposed sys-
tenn to serve the greatest number Of
citizens possible for the money. 1t is
up to the people now"
Returns In Tonight.
While not all the returns from the
rural precincts will be known tonight.
It is thot enough will be In to de-
termine whether the proposition car
ried. The county clerks office will
be open late. however, to get the re-
turns by telephone. The difficulty In
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