The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1921-05-18
(By JOHN c. TRlcE.)

the legislature is beginning 10 reallze
that little has yet been done on good
roads legislation, other than TO crystal
ize the sentiment of the body on pro-
gram. However, work has been done
in this way, and 1t Is likely that re-
suits will be shown during this week
or the next when the two houses get
right down to the task of putting their
road sentiments on the law books. A
ioint meeting of the two roads COM
mittee Is talked of for one night early
this week, when it is likely that the
tactics of the situation will be thor
oughly discussed.
There has been, and still is, consid-
cradle criticism of the road depart
ment foc not having presented pro-
gram. Friends of the board point out
that this is hardly fair. The present
first Of the year. 1t has barely had
board has only been in office since the
time to familiarize itself with what
has been done. to say nothing OF for
mulating plans to do more. 1t faced
the meeting Of the legislature soon
after it was named with the conse-
quent obligation Of explaining why
the high hopes raised in 1919 have not
been fully carried out. Much. has al
ready been printed In this correspon-
dence about why no better showing
was made. Briefly, as the investigating
committee showed, it was the fault OF
| the law, which permitted the board to
become the victim of localities, the
fault Of politics which broke up the
board continuity, and the general fault
of reconstruction, from which every
business enterprise suffered in high
costs, lack of morals, etc. The board
was no exception. The investigating
committee, however, gives it clean
bill, SO far as the work done is con-
cerned, though admitting that it Is so
widely scattered as not to have fulfill
ed the hopes Of the people for better
roads to any state wide extent.
RESOLVES INTO TWO HEADS.
Discussion of a program for road
construction naturally resolves itself
into two heads, If one takes UP the
firstly" secondly" ETC., style Of pre-
senting it. which has it's advantages.
First, there is the matter of revenue.
This Is most important and much
thought is being given it by the states
men.
Second, is the matter Of construction,
which is of great Importance, but in
more political way, if the term may be
used The legislature generally sees the
disadvantages in the present law,
| which makes possible too much county
political control of the board but they
don't want to relinquish it altogether.
Revenue is the big thing, of course,
| because roads cannot be built without
money. AS told in this correspondence
on May 5, there is the possibility Of
\ the state getting as much as $12, 000,-
| 900 from it's own resources and from
federal aid to spend on roads during
the next two years. Probably not so
much as that will be spent. but it is
quite certain to run from $S,000,000 to
S10.000.000 if the legislature can agree
on ways Of spending 1t.
/ In the first place, the two mill tax
will probably be retained in spite of
the implied promise of two years ago
| that 1t would be dropped this session.
\ 1t is hard to see how 1t can be left out
of the situation, though 1t is possible.
MOTOR VEHICLE OWNERS TO PAY
Then, the people who ride in auto
mobiles and who use motor vehicles for
business purposes will be called on to
make up large part Of the money
paid for roads. They will do this
through a largely increased license tax
on automobiles and, in all probability,
through a tax on gasoline and oils,
though the latter matter is yet to be
passed through the senate, where it
will meet with some opposition.
Two bills taxing gasoline were intro
duced in the house, and one, the Hun
ter bill, which comes from the commits
tee on finance and taxation has been
passed by the house and sent to the
senate. 1t taxes fuel oil as we'll as
gasoline, and there is some sentiment
that this shall not be done. The Hale
Miller bill relieves the tax on fuel oil
which Is used by ships for bunkering,
by the phosphate miners and by the
florida East Coast railway, all of
whom make the claim that they should
not be taxed specially for roads. What
the senate will do remains to be SEEN
At least three bills to increase the
tax on automobiles are pending In the
house. The Hale bill taxes weight. ca
pacity. The Taylor bill on weight of
car and the Miller bill is a straight
increase in the present license of about
100 per cent All three of the bills will
| make 1t fully twice as expensive to
buy an auto license as 1t Is now. The
Miller bill puts all the money except
20 per cent in the hands of the state
board. The balance goes to the coun-
ties The counties now get back So per
cent OF the auto license fund for road
maintenance.
In addition to these matters, there Is
the federal aid money available, the
money now credited to the counties
from the 50 per cent Of the license
fund, the convicts' labor to be credited
to the road board. A compromise has
been reached on the Townsend bill at
Washington which will make s1,1O0,-
600 available yearly for Florida. There
Is in addition now available about
$2,90O,000 when projects now under way
are completed.
ROAD FINANCE WILL RUN HIGH.
AS to where the roads shall be built.
the legislature may be said to have
cor,a ,,ound mite cOmDlefalv RI fba