The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1919-01-17
az w. o. SAUNDERS

In view of the fact that the
people OF Pasquotank county
must depend upon an act Of the
General Assembly to secure per-
Manent reads. a ruling given this
week by Attorney General James
s. Manning is Of unique impor-
tanee TO the readers Of this
newspaper.
s There is a limit to the local
legislation which, under the con-
stitution, can be passed by the
General Assembly. Many have
construed this limit to include
bond issues for roads. Judge
Manning has cleared up that
s1nooted point.
After quoting at length from the su-
prenae Courts various opinions on the
matter. Attorney General Manning
sstases 80
we conclude that the Legislature
Is NET prsfibited from enacting specla'
highway or bridge bond laws Tor any
stownskip or county in the state. AS
a correIary to this power ana as ihci-
dent to its proper exercise, 1t may IN
srcb laws provide all the machinery
,acassary for effectuating the purpose
for which the law Is enacted. Id
,,,ther words. the Legislature may IN
s1,ct, acts provide for the appointment
os 1,iohwavs commission in sueh pup
-, 1ocaI laws and authorize them TO lay
o,,+ omen altar and maintain or ols-
continue such highway, street OF ales'
ard so their is nothing In the con-
s+;+,,tion to- prevent the people OF Pas-
a,d other North Carolina
counties bonding for good roads II 1neS
so desire. .,a.,+bv
sa,+;n,ent against big bond issues. bu.
+ha state Highway Commission anu
<,ooS. roads authorities generally are
s+t1, convinced that only by the oono
issue can funds be provided Tor saeis-
- factory improvements. = A county Inas
: starts out to build permanent roaas
bv taxation can build only two or three
,niles OF road a year. By the time
has carried it's ~oad building ten miles
from town In a period of ten years, II
fnf7s that it has to start all over again
heca,lsa the roads built the first year
ooas n, nieces while the later additions
are being built,
Having given the matter great dea
ef s.t,ifIv am nearly convinced that the
1,.u,d issue is the thing and that ever
- q shoud issue of say 100000 90 for Pas
a,retauk would not be excessive II pro
"a, s,ra all available state and Federal aid
TO provide for the state taking oVel
o,,,. bends under the Clark act wh1cf
probably will be re-enacted at this ses'
sion OF the General Assembly. In'
clark act would provide for the stat'
lending It's money to counties on county
Eve per cent bonds, taking over TN
counties, bond issues. The state "oul'
in tura issue four per cent. oono
which would find a reader sale tnal
ff,e county securities. The clark ac
provides that in Al years the count.
laonf7a woald be automatically retired
4haaona per cent. difference betWeel
= ~ ea11nty and state bonds providing
- tta retirement of the county bona
3, tnsS Deriod. 1t is hard for an or
d;narv Individual to figure out now
ks1,r5lus Of enc per cent carried over
.rarIbd of Il years would wipe out
leat of 100 cents, hut any one who care
4a 6rure it out will find this grat1fy
ing result.
p1,t nj, local road measure must los
zsirht of prospective state ana feo
oaI Ala Pasouotank will get $S'ooo
:,,aar from the Federal government 70
,.oaa frnnroyements If the state supple
,,ants that aid by like amount. Iher
g every indication that the presA
tcarera1 Assembly will provide 10 Sc
c,,,e tl,fs Federal Aid. If such RfoVls
aS;a, 20 made Pasquotank county Will o
raI;eyed of an expenditure of S1Soo
vear sounds good, doesn't it!
The Dry Amendment
,rha F4o,,se of Representatives th1
week ratified the national ory Anieno
|nent by a vote Of s3 to 10. the act ma
been previously ratified by the sta'
senate.
Only two members from the f1rs
.aanatoriaI District voted against tn
s. tifieation. They were Representativ
"a r. johnson, of Currituck and Rer
yaeSntative B. G. Crisp, Of Dare.
mr.. Crisp made his maiden speech
the House in opposition to the amend
r,ent. He made very earnest, Yer
a,oauanf and very old fashioned appe;
in bafalf of Jeffersonion principles an
state rights. He called the burial
:Iohn B,s sycOrn the funeral OF tf
vitalizing spirit OF Democracy. Thel
srtafn1s Rgas a funeral Of that vitaha
ing spiria known as J. Barleycern.
An Several committees
1T may be OF interest to the readel
Of this newspaper to know fhars u
Representative from this county q
pears on ni11e OF the most imporfa'
eo1nfafttees Of the House. Those con
I11ittees are Public Roads and TdrI
pixies, F4hh and Fisheries. Regulatio
of Pablid Service Corporations =