The Punta Gorda herald. [volume] (Punta Gorda, Fla.) 1893-1958, 1920-09-30
MUST HAVE ROADS.

IboNDos
Ne. KIT to drainage, the thing need
ed most by the Punta Gorda section
and the thing that will be the great
est factor in the development of thi.
section is GOOD ROADS.
Just as soon as possible we mus,
build a good road from Charlotte
HarbOr to the Manatee county line tC
connect with the good road thai
county has built to that point, and
just as soon as possible we must ,bu4id
a good road to meet the road to be
built by Lee county to the county
line as part of the short read to Fort
Myers. In the near future we must
build our part of a better road tc
Arcadia, for already the travel over
this route demands a better road
In few more years we will be called
upon to build cur part of a road
leading east to Moore Haven.
Compared to other sections, this Is
an undeveloped country. There are
I
must be built that cannot be taxed
for enough to build roads because
they are undeveloped., This throws
an extra burden upon the developed
sections, which at best are little more
than able to build their own roads.
Yet if we expect development, prog
ress, prosperity, in the future, we
MUST have GOOD ROADS.
Let's see what has happened in a
county that has built good roads and
one that has been content with sand
roads: Polk county has the best
system of roads in Florida. Sumter
county, so far as we know, has not
one foot of hard surfaced road.
Both counties arc blessed with won
derfully productive soil, varied some
what, of course, as to adaptability.
Between 1910 and 1920 Polk county
gained 1853 in population, while
during the same period Sumter coun-
ty gained but 1855. Polk is tenn
ing with activity. Every day story
of progress and development comes
from Polk, and her people are happy
and prosperous. How often do you
hear of Sumter? Have you ever
heard of anything that indicates
progress and development that has
been done. is being done of may be
done in Sumter, outside of the recent
bond election when her people voted
bonds for roads? What has made
the difference in Polk and Sumter,
both of which, Undoubtedly, have
equal advantages so far as soil and
are concerned? The answer
is obvious Newcomers to Florida
gave Sumter glance, noted her sand
roads, and passed on to Polk or some
other progressive county.
The Importance of good roads as
a factor in the development of a new
country is undisputed and indisput-
able.
While we have some passably
good roads, we haven't by any means
enough and they are far from being
good enough to brag about. If we
expect continued development and
progress in this section we must
have MORE GOOD ROADS. 1t is
obvious that with our limited popu-
lation and property values we cannot
unaided build the roads we need
Then how are we to get them?
If the proposed constitutional
amendment is adopted, empowering
the legislature to issue bonds for the
construction of roads, money will be
provided to meet Federal aid and en-
able the State Road Department to
continue work 1t has started. Unless
the proposed amendment is adopted
or some other plan to raise money
devised (and no other plan has vet
been evolved) there will be no money
to meet the Federal aid and the road
department must abandon its work
The Road Department has pledged
itself to give us aid on the west
coast road, or Tamiami Trail, the
most important road of all to us. and
undoubtedly will extend aid to other
roads in this section if it is provided
with money to do the work.
In view of these facts, we repeat
that if we people of this section know
which side our bread is buttered on.
we will vote for adoption of the pro-
posed constitutional amendment.