The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1920-09-28
THE BOND AMENDMENT

Editor Star: / have been requested
to give my views on the pending road
bond amendment to be voted on at the
November election. In giving my
views on this subject, nothing is in
tended to cast reflection on any who
may differ in opinion with me nor to
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
up for consideration and action.
We are living in progressive per-
iod of the world Motor vehicles have
taken the place of horse drawn We
hicles for pleasure. and in 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 Mar
ion county boasted of having the
greatest mileage and best system of
good roads lime rocky of any county
III Lne SCaLes 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 in twenty
years. | have confidence to believe
that they would no more entertain a
proposal to issue twenty million dol
lars of state road bonds. were the
amendment to pass. than they would
to pass law to appropriate twenty
million dollars to be gathered from
the taxpayers for road purposes. They
have the right under the constitution
as it now stands to enact laws and
n1aks appropriations, even to build
roads, hence the two-mill road tax
levied for state good roads. that had
to be done to meet the federal appro-
priation to Florida for road purposes.
So it can and will be done again and
must of necessity be done by issuing
bonds or levying a direct tax to create
a road fund.
The federal appropriation to Flor
ida must be met fifty-fifty or we lose
the appropriation. Then the question
is, which would be best for the state.
for the next legislature to issue two
and half million dollars in bonds to
meet the federal appropriation for
the next two years or to levy direct
tax on the state to raise the two and
a half million dollars.
At 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 so that
bonds can be issued.
My opinion is to raise the money TO
meet the bonds If issued or to paw the
tax would be least oppressive to the
state and deal out justice to all, would
be for the next legislature to 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 commissioners of agriculture the
0ne-eighth of cent on the gallon of
gasoline for the year ending August
3lst, 1920, raised over seventy-six
thousand dollars. One cent a gallon,
or eight times the above, would raise
/ over six hundred and nine thousand
dollars and for every two years would
raise over one million, two hundred
and eighteen thousand dollars.
We note that just as many automo-
biles are daily moving with gasoline
selling at 36 cents per gallon as were
when it sold for II cents per gallon.
The license ON motor vehicles should
stay as it is. The public is not kick
ling. Then the man who runs his Ford
car so miles per week would not have
to pay as much tax for the use of the
good roads as the man who ran his
Ford 500 miles per week for both
pleasure and profit.
1t might be said this system of
raising money for good roads would
be a little hard on those who operate
other machinery by gasoline. The an
swer would be no harder for them
than to pay an advalorem tax on the
value OF their property.
/ am firmly of the opinion that II
we ever have complete system OF
good roads in Florida, the state will
have to build them. In my opinion we
made asmistake to vote half million
dollars IN bonds to help build one road
ever the bonds are not yet issued and
thorugh our county. ! ann glad. how