The Pensacola journal., 1920-02-17
ROAD NUMBER ONE.


The recent meeting of the road department in
Orlando and the awarding OF a contract for the
! building OF grouted brick road from Jackson
Vile to Lakeland at cost OF million and a
half dollars is one Of the most important moves
ever made by any department of the state in its
relatio nto West Florida.
The building of this road from Jacksonville to
Lakeland means that after its completion 1t will
be an easy matter for tourists from Georgia to
reach any part OF the state-except West Florida,
which will be still cut of, and will continue to be
off from the of the state, until such time
as the sixteen counties which comprise this sec
ton. get together and demand that Road Number
One from Jacksonville to Pensacola be completed
The fact that this road will not traverse each of
these counties. in no way reduces It's Importance
to each of the counties for until this road is
completed, West Florida as whole cannot possibly
come into its own
AS it now stands we have the prospect OF a
road running from Jacksonville to Lakeland and
we have great bride building over the Apalachi-
cola river and few good permanent roads, here
and there. In most of the counties, the roads are
only tolerablc Unless we linked together, CT
what value to this part of the state Road Num-
ber One possibly become?
As an example Of what may be done by fntelli-
gent effort directed into practical channels, we
the Baby County of the state. Okaloosa county
is the youngest county in West Florida and boasts
the best roads. There has been talk o,
"favoritism" and suggestion that county division
has had much to do with this. But let us look
at the facts
Okaloosa has taken advantage of the opportunity
presented other counties of Florida, matching dol
lar for dollar with the state and federal govern
ment The Baby County OF West Florida has
bonded for s130000O0 in consequence Of which the
roads of Crestview and contiguous territory are
of permanent character, and cannot be matched
anywhere in this section.
In its current issue the Milton Gazette points out
that the difference of the roads in Okaloosa and
Santa Rosa counties is not attributable to county
division, but to the simple fact that Okaloosa has
matched the public funds, dollar for dollar
If this is true. and there seems to be no reason
to doubt it, then the rest of West Florida should
Immediately get busy and sell bonds for road
construction, demanding federal and state aid
In passing, it might be we'll to ascertain to a
certainty, if it is fact that the other sections of
North Central and South Florida-were forced TO
meet the requirements
1t was openly limited at the meeting, held in
Pensacola that this not fact At least one
of the members of the highway commission openly
secuted the idea that West Florida had been fairly
treated and another made the statement that he
believe dgood road work should have been started
in the Northern and Western part Of the state in
order to logically develop Florida by connecting it
with the other states of the union.
Agrculturally West Florida is the most fmpor-
tant section of Florida. That has been proven by
the awards at the state fair, where the counties
of North and West FLORIDA have carried off the
highest honors Industriay, North and West
Florida are the most important sections of the
state. Then why, in the name of all that is fair
and equitable. has this part of the state been so
long neglected?
For the simple reason that we have made no de-
mands The people have been blinded to their own
interests. They have been deceived as to their
own value. They have refused to insist upon their
rights.
The st. Augustine Record says that possibly
within four years Road Number One will be fin
ished to Pensacola. Why four years? The road
from Jacksonville to Pensacola should be finished
within the next eighteen months. 1t can be done
and this section Of the state should find some ay
to compel that it is done.