The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1919-12-19
ROAD BUILDING
FEVER RECENT

Tallahassee, Dec. 1S.-'While the
Impotence of the public for the COM
pletion of the main trunk line roads
| of the state is commendable. as show
| ing an earnest desire for system OF
paved roads that start somewhere and
go somewhere, the people generally
should consider that the road building
fever is a very recently discovered
,ailment. For years and years. while
| the numerous so-called fathers of the
good roads movement were preaching
and pleading for improved highways.
] the same people who are now doing
| the loudest kicking were asleep at the
switch and refused to put forth any
effort to provide the wherewithal for
road construction"
The above was said by the chairman
of the state road department today
| just after reading numerous Kicks
and knocks concerning delay in
actual road construction along some of
| the roads that have been officially de-
| signated az State and State Aid
roads.
THE state road department" con-
/ tinued Mr.. Smith, SIS just as anxious to
/ push the road construction program
as the numerous individuals who take
up so much time in criticising and
fault finding. The preliminaries take
| up much time and the financial ar
! engagements have to be worked out 1t
| is not the intention or desire OF the
department to carry on the work of
road construction in spots throughout
the state, leaving long unfinished gaps
| 1t is the intention to begin and push
the work on certain sections connecting
with sections already paved. so as to
give as much continuous surfaced road
as possible for use Of the travelling
public.
| 1T should be remembered. that while
| the state road department has been in
existence for practically four years,
| it is only very recently that the de-
partment has been given the authority
| and provided with funds for actual
road construction.
And, it certainly takes money to
build roads, in these times of coal
shortage, railroad car shortage, high
freight rates and scarcity of competent
labor. to say nothing of the fact that
every square foot of road surfacing
material of the permanent type must
| be brought into the state of Florida
The cost of road building in Florida
has advanced from fifty to one hundred
| per cent during the past four years.
| 1t is planned to receive bids during
1.-THE first week in January for the con-
struction of nearly one hundred and
fifty miles of state roads and it is
hoped by the department that actual
construction will begin on nearly one
hundred miles of the new work by
February LIST, 1920.
THE state road department has not
been doing much talking" lately as
to what it is going to do but 1t has
been busy getting everything in read
mess Definite announcement can now
be made of it's program, as outlined
above, and the public will soon see
tactual work in progress.
| In anticipation of this large amount
of road construction the state road de-
ipartment has located camps for state
fconvicts on state road No /, extend
ling from Jacksonville westward to the
! Suwannee county line, and on state
Iroad No 2, extending from the Georgia
state line southwark to the Marion
county line When the state prisoners
lclassed as able bodied and fit for work
lon the public roads are turned over to
this department on January 1, the men
will be at once put to work grading
land getting the road-ways in shape
for actual construction
| BE patient for little while longer"
isaid Chairman Smith, land you will
begin to see some actual road con-
struction of a permanent character in
progress on the north and south and
| the east and west highways and also
on the much talked of Waycross-J Jack
| sonville road