The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1919-11-19
For the Good of
the Community

r VERY day brings new evidences of
- the awakened interest in road build
ing in the United States. 1t is not con-
fined to any one community or state, but
is general throughout the country.
A few days ago, in a statement given
out at Washington, it was shown that
projects brought over from last year or
authorized since January l total more
than $633, 100000, and that proposed
bond issues soon to be voted upon provide
for additional highway construction that
will bring the grand total to be completed
or built within the next two or three years
above S1,000,000,000
Up in Wisconsin, Brown county. with
approximately 81, 900 population in 1910,
and 529 square miles of territory, on No
vember 8, voted a bond issue of $780,
600 for good roads. Jefferson county. in
Alabama, with over 10000 population
and about / 900 square miles of territory.
has been considering for several months
the issuance of S5,000,000 of bonds for
good roads.
Speaking of the Brown county bond
proposition, the Green Bay Gazette SAYS:
Brown County stands for progress with large
T. The overwhelming endorsement of the
S25OO,O00 concrete road bond issue at the polls
Saturday demonstrated this fact conclusivey It
left no doubt to the attitude of the people to-
wards the value of building hard surfaced perm
anent highways and finally and fundamentally
solves the highway problem of Brown County. We
shall have within the next six years 1876 miles of
concrete roads, reaching into every part of the
county.
'The plan as adopted will give Brown County
roads that will not have to be built everv few
years, and on which maintenance charges will not
IN short time be more than the original cost. It
IS to give us the best roads at the lowest cost and
with the maximum benefits"
The Gazette says the citizens of Brown
county stand for progress That is the diff
ference between people who look to the
future and those who live in the present.
Saddled with large and burdensome
debts during the reconstruction neriod
following the Civil War the people of the
south, not as individuals, but as states and
communities, have stood out against
debts. They have opposed bond issues
when the proceeds from such bonds would
have brought many fold returns in the
way of improved living conditions.
schools, health, highways and CONNER
cial and industrial expansion.
It is just within the last few years that
they have begun to realize that without
spending money, and large sums of it,
they cannot go forward.
Cincinnati, with less than 400, 900 pop
ulation in 1910, had bonded debts aggre-
eating over S40,000,0O0. Birmingham,
with 1872, 1000, fused about similar debts
amounting in the aggregate to less than
S9,000,000
Cincinnati has several hundred miles
of well-paved streets, university main
tanned by the city, public baths, over 600
acres of improved PARKS an art museum,
geological gardens, now owned by the
city, with one of the largest collections of
animals and forest products in the United
States, and numerous other public institu-
tons which the citizens of that city main
tain through the payment of taxes.
The only way Jefferson county and the
state of Alabama will ever have good
roads will be by issuing bonds to pay for
.ho-a With the S25,00O,OOO to be real