The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1919-08-30
HOUSE APPEARS
DETERMINED TO
KILL ROAD PLAN
Nv w. j. HOLES

Montgomery. August Especial
determined to kill the state highway
programme worked out by state High
way Engineer Ke1lar in cooperation
with the highway commissioners, high
way Improvement association and fed
eral highway engineers is patent from
it's action today and last Wednesday
The Arnold bill creating the state
highway commission, providing for a
complete trunk highway system and
appropriating the entire motor vehicle
was saddled down with amendme
that will defeat the purposes of the
bill. Under the grabbing policy pur-
sued by some of the legislators wher-
ever the question of revenues is men
toned every county must share equal
ly in the distribution of the road fund
that is, the same number of dollars
must be expended for road purposes ir
each of the Z counties.
This just as effectually kills the
highway programme as if the bill had
been defeated a a whole,
While the the highway programme
calls for the building of good roads
in every county in order to connect up
the trunk highways that would tray
erse the state from north to south and
east to west. Several of these roads
have been selected and mapped
Under the amendment adopted
Wednesday and which remains in the
bill despite the efforts of it's friends
tc strike it out on reconsideration this
morning. the motor vehicle license
must be divided in equal parts among
the counties. This is said to be the
first steps towards the defeat of the
proposed $25,ooo,Ooo state highway
bond issue, upon which hinges Ala
bama's participation in the federal good
roads aid fund
Following the reconsideration of the
highway system bill the house took up
house bill No. 435, by Mr.. Jones of
Escambia county, which provides for
the submission to the voters of the
state a constitutional amendment after
90 days from final adjournment of the
legislature, authorizing counties to levy
and collect special taxes for the con-
struction and maintenance of public
roads and bridges. to fix debt limit and
tax limit of counties and to validate
outstanding debts incurred by counties
for the construction of highways roads
bridges and other public improvements
SUBSTITUTE OFFERED
Mr.. Partridge of Franklin county
| moved to substitute his bill which
Intnt to the voters at the regular cleo
ton in November, 1920, and levies tbs
special tax of SO cents, and motion to
table his motion was defeated.
Mr.. Long of Butler opposed the bills
| declaring that most of the counties
| are already burdened with debts. anc
that tax es Fnow take about all a
man makes. He asserted that the ten
dency in recent years, both national
! and state, has been to regulate every
| thing, a tendency, he declared, leading
| to bolshevism.
Mr. Dansby of Choctaw. arguing n
| support of the Partridge bill stated that
| if adopted tand the amendment ratified
| II e counties would have the right tt
| vote on a proposed highway bond is
sue for the respective counties The
| fund derived from such bond isue would
be used for constructing and maintaing
| i roads, collateral to the state trunk
highways
| Mr.. Faulll offered an amendment to
| the substitute requiring a petition for
a special election under this corstitu-
tional amendment to be signed by "a
per cent of the qualified voters, m
stead OF 10 per cent specified in the
Partridge bill The amendment was
defeated
Mr. Sparks of Barbour offered ar
amendment requiring % per cent Of
the special taxes collected in munich
ralities be paid into the treasury OF
such municipality to be used for the
rpl.eep Of it's streets. The amendment
was adopted
Mr. VandeGraaff of Tuscaloosa, op-
| pc sing the bill. urged the members te
give serious consideration to the bill
as it would make it possible for coun
| ties to add so cents to the 500 oil
| valuation to the tax rate, thereby in
creasing the limit to SIPS. esinsistei
! mat by raising the valuations Of
| property to the constitutional limi
| there would be no necessity of specia
| taxes.
| The substitute was adopted bv {
! vote of IS to 20 and the bill as amend
! ed was passed by the vote of GA to &c
! barely receiving the required three
| fifths vote of the total membership
| of the house.