The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1919-04-30
FOR
ROAD BONDS IS
INDICATION NOW
Sentiment Changes for Amend
ment q People Hear Argu-
ment on Bonds.
mo" VOTE Be SMALL
Straw Vote Taken Over County
Show Yes; Thomas-Hill
In Debate.

McAleSter, OKla., April z5.-oen
timent in favor OF the bond issue
has developed to that point where
it is believed that the negative vote
in Pittsburg county next Tuesday
will be in about the proportion thai
was registered when the Legislature
voted on the passage of Senate
Joint Resolution No. 10, the Fifty
Million Dollar hard surfaced high
ways bond issue measure. Stray
votes taken not only in McAlester
but in various towns and comumni
ties in Pittsburg county indicate
that the negative vote will be OF
negligible character.
Senator ]. Elmer Thomas OF Law
ton, father of the so called Thomas
plan, and Senator e. p Hill, OF Nc
Alester, a member Of the senate
roads and highways committee, en-
gagged in Joint debate here last night
when both sides of the matter were
| fully discussed.
Senator Thomas devoted most of
the hour and quarter he con-
sumed to setting purported figures
! to show that the roads contemplated
in the proposed constitutional amend
ment cannot be built with the
amount provided in the bond issue
Senator Hill took issue with him on
this phase of the argument by set
ting that the Thomas plan itself
represents that nearly twenty mil.
lions additional will come through
federal aid Senator Hill pointed
out that the resolution makes pro
wilson's for meeting federal aid, he
declared that in his opinion the sew
cnty or more millions thereby avail
able will complete the program. He
showed that there are less than a
dozen counties in the state which do
not afford some satisfactory form or
road building material ranging from
limestone to rock asphalt and that
much of the transportation expense
incurred by other states will there
by be saved He also showed that
practically all of the roads on the
map are graded and are now main
travelled highways and that figures
that maintain in other states are
higher because of the conditions in
those localities asmountainous coun-
try is included in many of the other
state programs, as well as low lands
that Go not furnish substantial
foundation, while Oklahoma roads
generally are upon a solid founda
tion and that there is little noun
famous road to be improved.
Senator Thomas urged that the
bond issue was unnecessary, assert |
ing that the roads can be built |
through appropriations and federal
aid, together with the amounts now
being spent from the gross produc-
tion and motor vehicle taxes. Sen
ator Hill refuted this claim by show
ing that even Thomas plan, as con-
tanned in Senator Thomas Senate
Bill No. 267, provides that counties
shall raise theirs one-third of the
cost of road building "by bond issue
or otherwise" Senator Hill used
the present state auditors figures
on the assessed valuation of the
state to refute the statement that
an additional levy will be necesar-
,ary to meet state expenses and re
ire the bonds and pay the interest
.harges. He showed that the same
'evenues now being wasted on dirt
oads will meet the retirement and
interest charges and that the pres
mt assessment on the present valu-
tion is sufficient to meet the legis-
ative appropriations for the bien-
lial period q
Senator Hill routed one new as
ertion by Senator Thomas in a t
aanner that upset the opposition
rs claim that labor is not protect
ID under the amendment and that b
neap labor, particularly Mexicans
nd negroes will be employed by the A
on the statewide road
gstem. In refuting this charge
enator Hill merely read from Sec
on sixteen of the Thomas bill
hich provides that convict labo. r
.ay be used in any county of the c
,s te. n
Senator Thomas did not avail e
imself of an opportunity to reply v
Senator Hill and no vote was
ken, although it was generally A
needed that had an expression N
en- taken there would have beel C
Continued on Page Eight)