Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1921-12-13
THE STATE ROAD BOND ISSUE.


ers and other officials to be held in
Macon Wednesday of this week to
work out one of the most important
proposals ever tackled by this or
any other state. The representatives
of Sumter county will include Neill
A. Ray, chairman of the county
board, and other members of the
board, and they will be accompanied
by W. C. Cage, Jr., district high
way engineer. The proposal to be
discussed is the contemplated state
highway bond issue of $75, 100000,
or such other amount as may be de-
termined upon, for the constructing
of a comlpete state highway system.
The meeting is for the purpose of
working out details and drawing up
definite plans in accordance with the
desires of the counties, for submit
ting to the next session of the Geor-
gia legislature, which must act dur
ing the coming year if Georgia is to
obtain in the future her full share
of federal aid under the present gov
eminent regulations. Among the
propositions to be taken up are:
First: The bonds issued to be
of such an amount that can be paid
off, both principal and interest, with
the automobile tax fund and the gas
oline tax fund and in no event to
issue an amount whereby the peo
pie will be taxed on their property
to retire the bonds.
Second: The money already eX-
pended or the money that will be eX
pended on the state system of roads
by the individual counties up to the
time that the bonds are issued, to be
refunded to the counties which have
been spending their funds on the
state system under the supervision of
the state highway department.
Third: The bonds to be issued for
the purpose of building the state sys-
TEN of roads and such roads to be
built in each county on the state sys-
TEN that is best suited to take care
of the traffic in each locality.
The big point in the proposal,
which should meet with instant favor
in every section of Georgia, is that
the bond issue as planned will not
tax the people of Georgia a penny.
AS contemplated-and it is safe to-
say that no other proposal will be
conference.-the present automo-
bile tax, plus the gasoline tax of one
cent a gallon, which is also in effect
and being paid, will provide for the
maintenance of the state highway
system as it will be taken over for
maintenance on next January l and
in addition will pay the interest and
principal on the proposed $75,000,-
900 bond issue This means there
would be not cent of additional bur-
den upon the tax payers.
The benefits to come, on the other
hand, would be enormous. The most
important would be that Georgia
would soon have a state highway sys-
tenn of perfection, 1890 miles in
length, with state built and main
tanned highway running to every
county seat from at least two direc-
tons, permitting year around travel
on perfect highways in every part of
the state, without the necessity of
ever having to get off the state sys-
tenn in going between county seats.
AS contemplated the main arteries,
bearing the greatest amount of traf-
fic, would be paved heavily, those
bearing the next heaviest traffic sur
faced with lighter and less expensive
paving, and those roads used less fire.
quently provided with the best type
of sand clay surface and maintained
in perfect condition by state forces
the year around. This plan proposes
serving the states needs as whole,
with the idea of having the system
built as it should be built, according
to the judgment of competent engi-
neers and trained men, rather than
constructed on a crazy quilt plan and
every remote section getting more
than it needed to the sacrifice of the
main thoroughfares.
Another benefit would accrue from
the fact that scores of contracts
would be let and employment afford
ed to thousands of men now idle, thus
increasing the prosperity of our state
in a time when it is needed.
In Sumter county and a number
of others still third benefit would
come from the reimbursement by the
state to the counties of the cost of
construction already done on the sys-
tenn. Sumter county has four of
these roadside Ellavill,e Smithville,
Vienna and Plains roads - all of
which will have considerable perma-