The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1918-09-03
TUESDAY. SEPTEMBER 3, 1918.
A DELAYED AWAKENING

"A bella Ell AW
The practically unanimous enactment by con-
gress of the new draft measure, coupled with
the nationwide movement of the United States
Employment Service in surveying the potential
man-power of the country, both of these pointing
unerringly to the supreme demand of the hour,
man-power to the nations limit, have driven
home the vital character of the activities supple
mentng these calls upon the country's resources
among which are those being daily brought into
motion by the highway transport committee,
Council of National Defense.
This problem, which is local one in every
state in the union, down even to the smallest of
the political subdivisions, is being met by the
higway transport bodies through the efforts, for
instance, of rural motor truck operator in Col
orado, who reports that he is daily saving
through one route the services of fifty men on
the farms at the expense of but three men in
the operation of his truck
This spells increased man-power that food pro-
duction maybe made certain just as the opera
ton of return loads bureau in Pennsylvania,
that rail congestion be relieved, means coal for
the navy, to bunker the ships; and it means an
increased transport service for the army in the
moving of munitions of war for use by the men
in France.
The highways transport committees in their
work are thus carrying out the views recently
outlined by the president in emphasizing ''the
value of extending our defense organization into
the smallest communities" The presidents view
characterizes truly democratic this system
of bringing together the individuals of the coun-
try into movement looking to the furthering of
the dynamic force which is carrying the nation
forward to victory.
1t is regrettable that in the face of the grave
situation which confronts the country, Escambia
county is unable to take part in the highways
transport movement, because of the failure of
our county commissioners to properly maintain
our roads.
Long before we entered the war, the govern
ment sent senior highway engineer to Escam-
bia county to>survey our road system and offer
suggestions. He went into the matter thor
oughly and stated frankly that the condition of
our road system was deplorable. He gave vau-
able suggestions, which were ignored. He showed
how the county could save large sums of money
and greatly improve its roads, but the commits
sioners followed their own course.
Now, when the need for good roads is greater
than ever before, there is scarcely mile of even
passably good road within an hours drive of
Pensacola.
The county commissioners have failed in their
patriotic duty. They have excuses of course, but
the government expert says those excuses are
not sound. They are making promises as to what
they will do in October when the tax money be-
gins to come in, just as they made similar prom
ises year ago. Meanwhile, our roads are in
bad condition and are getting worse every day.
The concrete road to the naval air station is de-
lsyed-things are at a standstill, but the commits
sioners do not seem especially disturbed
1t is not to be believed that they are deliber-
ately blocking development of the county or arc
purposey placing Escambia county in a bad light.