The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1920-10-18
OUGHT TO Be
INVESTIGATED
State Highway Commission has Spent
Money Out of All Proportion to
Work 1t has Accomplished


sue for state roads, and like many
Others, am opposed to the issuing of
such bonds, whether it be four 3aillion
or twenty million dollars, and it seems
! to me that every sensible person who
will investigate the situation serious
ily will likewise be opposed to it.
1t is enormously stated, not only
by the press but generally. that the
| Legislature will have the power to ex-
pend this money, and that its expen-
diture will be under that body, but
this is clearly a mistake, as the legis-
lature, as it now stands, has already
made provision for the expenditure
iof this and all other road money by
the state road commission.
This state road commission was
iorganized under chapter $3.50 of the
laws of 1915, but never really became
a serious body until the act of 1917
amending, or re-enacting the law with
notifications, authorizing the expen-
! diture of state moneys with the
moneys received from Congress for
such aid. and the body has been quite
factor since the first of the year
1918, when the state funds began
pouring in. 1t was the last cited act
THAT authorized the use of convicts on
the state roads and since that time,
or rather since the first of the year
1920 when the convict leases expired,
convicts have been used on the state
roads
| 1t is with this state road commits
sion that ! am finding fault. Since
its organization, and up to October
i IL, 1920, they had expended 50, ,O73,-
/ 540.75, and while / am not able to
state positively as to the work done,
| two persons who ought to know told
me in Tallahassee last week that with
the expenditure of this $2,073,54O.75
and with the use of the state convicts
for ten months. they had built less
than one mile of road. Think of an
expenditure as gigantic as this with
absolutely nothing accomplished. So
think it can be authoritatively stated
that the state road commission has
expended this sum of money without
a dollar of corresponding benefit to
the state. At this rate twenty million
dollars would not build ten miles of
road. And where has this money
been spent? What has this honorable
commission to show for it? It is easily
answered, if you will investigate it.;
the money has been expended in draw
ing maps, for hotel and travelling ex-
penses of. the commission, who thru
the fault of the law get no compensa-
tion other than their expenses. The
state had better allowed them sal,
ary of $4,000 year. and get few
good men to run it, as they would
icertainly have done more than expend
the money in this way But as it is,
we have spent more than two million
dollars to ferret out schemes (on pa
Iper) that are worthless.
i Examine for a moment what they
did in Marion county (and | am re-
liably informed that the same. has
taken place in many other counties).
! They dug up the shade trees on each
side of the road between Ocala and
Reddick, and dug huge bitches in their
place, but not penny was expended
lon the surface of the road. where il
was NEEDED. These bitches have large
lly filled up with the heavy rains that
j fell during the summer, and the en-
Ibarkments made on the sides of the
! road are nuisance to the travelling
lpublic, and we need not expect an.
lother dollar spent in this county
: soon.
/ So our state railroad commission
irito whose hands it is proposed tC
place this sum of twenty million dol
lars, has already proven its inability
or unworthiness, and it seems to mt
that it would be the widest and mos
freakish tax the people of any state
ever voted on themselves to give then
twenty million more to play with, fol
this is all they have done. On thi.
basis it will cost Us fifty billion dol
lars to build a common sand road from
the state line to Fort Myers! If the!
cannot build one mile with two mill
ion dollars, how far would twent,
. million go with them? Therefore, w.t.
b Eonly a few maps, receipted hotel an,
travelling bills. and the recollection O
good times they have had on stat
money, the state road commission
must make its report to the people a
B the polls in November, and it is onl,
upon this can they consistently urg
:. the people to vote for the amendment
d IF the taxpayers of Florida wish +
t perpetuate such body, and Civ
them more money, then vote for tn
amendment to the constitution au
thorizing the legislature to issu
bonds for road purposes is a step
that direction. It is all nonsense t
say that we viii have roads if we is
:, sue the bonds, for we won't hav
d enough roads out of that little twent
b million dollars to go to Silve
Springs, even if they spent ever
dollar of it in Marion county.
CO I e.. 80 ,..z,,, As..,a II -.