The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1919-04-29


ment to the Constitution OF Oklahoma
locates statewide trunk line systcn
of hard surfaced roads connecting cy'
cry county seat and all the principal
market places in the state. Thirty
eight and onehalf percent Of the total
acreage of the State is within three
miles of the proposed roads. Fully
seventy percent of our population re-
side within four miles of the roads and
better transportation facilities are afi
forded to our entire citizenry.
Oklahoma needs these roads now,
and the only way in which they can be
built Immediately is through state
bond issue sufficient in amount sup
plemented by Federal aid appropria-
tions to construct the entire system.
The Federal government has adopted
the policy o$ matching dollar for dol
lar with the various states in the con-
truction q such roads. 1t has already
appropriated for that purpose $275,-
100000. $75,000,000 In 1915 and in
1919 $200,0000O0. Oklahoma S share of
these appropriations is about $6OO0-
600. 1t will take from five to seven
years to complete the system Of roads
proposed, and 1t is practically certain
that before the expiration of that per-
iod Oklahoma's share of Federal aid
appropriations will amount to at least
$40 1000 900, and in all probability many
millions more than that amount
There are about 4670 miles Of road
designated in the Amendment. 1t
will require about $70,000,00O to pay
for the construction theeeof The
bond issue of $500 900 supple
mented by Federal aid appropria-
tion of $20,O000O0 will provide the
$40, 1000 900 necessary to meet the cost
OF the entire system. The entire sys-
tenn will be built. Aobody will be dis
appointed in not getting the roads de-
signated on the map.
Building good roads is the best in.
vestment any state can make. No state
has ever been successful in the con-
struction of roads except on the bond
issue plan. This is the modern busi-
ness method of financing. The great
Industrial and financial enterprises Of
the country have bee built and main
tanned on borrowed money No bonds
can be sold under the Amendment un-
til and only as the money is needed to
pay the cost of construction. No in
terest on any bonds will begin to run
until they are sold. Therefore, no in
terest will begin to run on any bonds
until the construction work has pro.
gressed to the time when the cost
thereof must be paid, and then only
on the amount actually invested in
the construction.
The Commission can not incur an
Indebtedness during the first year af
ter authorization in excess Of $6,000,-
coo; nor in excess Of $16,000.00 dur
ing the first two years, not in excess
of $30,CO0O00 during the first three
years. Neither can the Commission
sell bonds during any one of such Pc
riods in excess Of the Indebtedness
authorized to be incurred during such
period, and it may sell only suf-
cient number and amount of bonds
to provide sufficient sum to pay the
construction cost that is due. The in
terest on outstanding bonds will range
from 100000 a year to not to exceed
S1,890,000, and will amount in the ag-
gregate to about S23,800000. The
bonds are to be retired at the rate of
$2,000,000 each year, beginning Au-
gust 1st, 1920.
The Constitutional limit of three and
one-half mills ad valorem tax for all
state purposes will not be affected by
the adoption of the Amendment. This
Constitutional limit is fixed by Sec
lion of Article 10 of the COnstitu-
ton. The Amendment specifically
provides that nothing herein contain
ed shall be construed to affect or alter
the provisions of Section 9 Of Article
10 Of this Constitution.
There is no other plan by which the
road system outlined in the amend
ment can be built under seventeen
years, and the probabilities are strong
that the entire system can never be
built in any other way than by State
bond issue If the Legislature should
appropriate sS,OOO,O00 a year for II
years, it would only produce for road
construction the sum of $1,000 600.
The money appropriated each year
can not be spread over the entire sys.
TEN, but must be spent in some par
ticular locality to be designated by
the Legislature, the Commissioner of
or some Commission pro,
yided by the Legislature. The first
appropriation weuld be spent in that
locality having the strongest political !
pull With the locating authority and