The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1919-06-06
WHITTH0RNE SAYS SPECIAL
SESSION CAN BE CALLED LATER

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in each county, as hereinafter provid-
ed. Before receiving the benefit of
this act every county, through its
County Court, by proper order, shall
give to the department a sufficient
guaranty that the county will comply
with the requirements of this act, and
that 1t will annually thereafter levy
tax sufficient for the proper mainte-
nance Of the roads constructed under
the provisions of this act, as may be
required by the department; provided,
that the department, in its discretion
may take over all or any part Of said
roads for maintenance with any main
tenance funds at the disposal Of the
department. The road or roads In
each county shall be designated and
contracts let within two years after
the passage of this act. This act was
passed March 30, 1917.
From the record before me, we have
no definite fixed proposition from the
State Highway Department or from
the federal government, and from
reading the above referred to act of
1917, it seems that the county would
have to give some guaranty that it
will comply with the requirements of
this law and that it will levy main
tsnance tax even If the state has
now maintenance fund at it's dispo-
SAL 1t may have such a fund this
year but not in the succeeding years.
This may be regulated by rules and
requirements of the department. How
ever, these rules and regulations and
all contracts are to be made subject
to the law.
And. again it is respectfully submit
ted that it would be well for the peo-
pie of the county to take into consid-
Grafton whether or not they will not
at the same time, at the next Quarter
ly session of the court. issue bonds for
the rebuilding of other main thor
oughfares of the county.
There are a number of questions
that present themselves and will pre-
sent themselves for the consideration
of the people of the county for full,
frank, and open discussion among all
of the people from the various sec
tons of the county. Every bond issue
that has heretofore been made by the
county court has been done after such
discussion and after public senti-
ment had crystalized.
One of the questions that will at
the threshold present itself for the
consideration of the court is whether
or not they, as representatives of the
people, will place tax upon the peo-
pie without first obtaining the consent
of the people; next whether it will be
the settled policy of the county to vote
bonds for the construction or re-on-
struction of the main thoroughfares
of the county, by issuing bonds to pay
for the same, and whether or not at
this particular time, when dollar
is cheap and its purchasing power is
at it's lowest ebb, the county should
borrow large sums of money even for
laudable purposes, when, in all human
probability in the future, at the date
of the repayment of this dollar it
will be worth double what it is now.
So, respectfully submit to you that
cannot help feeling that the fair and
just way is to give all of those matters
the greatest publicity and get a full
discussion of the whole matter among
the people so that the court as their
representatives can reflect public SEN
timent, and if necessary order an cleo
ton to obtain the will of the people,
issue the bonds If it is deemed best,
cautiously, and legally, preserving ev-
cry right that the people of Maury
county are entitled to under the law
In the short time in which i have
had to investigate these matters and