The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1920-10-08
POSTMASTER ROGERS FAvoRs
BOND AMENDMENT
Presents Most Eloquent and Logical
Reasons for State Supervision
One Cent Tax per Gallon on
Gasoline is all That Is
Necessary

p the Editor Banner:
have been requested 90 give my
vitws on the pending road bond
amendment 10 bee voted on al the No
vember election. In giving my views
ON this subject. nothing is intended 10
cast reflection on any who may differ
In opinion with me nor 20 criticise
any argument heretofore given.
We must first consider others as
honest IN their opinion as we are on
any public question that may come
np for consideration and action.
We are living In a progressive per.
Tod 0f the world Motor vehicles have
taken the place OF horse drawn We
hioles for pleasure, and In a great
measure have taken the place OF the
mule In carrying loads for the farmer
and business man. hence the owners
and manufacturers OF trucks and au-
tomobIles demand permanent good
roads. Before their day. we OF Ma.
rion county boasted Of having the
greatest mileage and best system Of
good roads Oime rock of any county
IN the state; not so now.
Under the primary system OF nom
mating candidates, the next legisla.
ture will be as good in every sense as
any legislature We have had I'm twenty
years. I have confidence 20 believe
that they would no more entertain a
proposal 60 issue twenty million dol.
lars of state road bonds. were the
amendment 90 pass. than they would
20 pass a law 20 appropriate twenty
million dollars 10 be gathered from
the taxpayers for road purposes. They
have the right under the constitution
as a now stands 90 enact laws and
make appropriations. even toS build
roads. hence the two-mill road tax
levied for state good roads. that had
20 be done to meet the federal appro-
,prlation 20 Florida for road purposes.
So d can and will be done by issuing
bonds or leyying a direct tax to create
a road fund.
The federal appropriation to Flor
ia must be met fifty-fifty or we lose
the appropriation. Then the question
IA. which would be best for the state.
for the next legislature TO issue two
and a half million dollars in bonds 20
meet the federal appropriation for
the next two years or TO levy a direct
tax on the state 10 raise the two and
half million dollars.
Al every regular biennial session of
the legislature this two and half
million dollars will have to be raised
by bonds or direct taxation. provided
the bond amendment carries 50 that
bonds can be issued.
Aiy opinion Il 20 raise the money to
meet the bonds II issued or to pay the
tax would be least oppressive to the
state and deal ont Justice 10 all. would
be for the next legislature 10 raise
the tax on gasoline from one-eighth
Of cent on the gallon to one cent on
the gallon. According to the report
of the commissioner of agriculture the
one-eighth of a cent on the gallon OF
gasoline for the year ending August
9fst. 1920. raised over seventy-six
thousand dollars. One cent a gallon
ar eight times the above. would raise
over six hundred and nine thousand
dollars and tor every two years would
raise over one million. two hundred
and eighteen thousand dollars.
We note that just as many autom'-
bles are daily moving with gasoline
selling al 80 cents per gallon as were
when Il sold for II cents per gallon.
The license on motor vehicles should
stav as IL Is. The public is not KICK
ing Then the man who runs his Fora
car 20 miles per week would not nave
"a nav as much tax for the use OF the