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


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 Neil
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 S75,0o0.ooo,
or such other amount rs may oe de
termined upon, for the constructing
of comlpete state highway system
The meeting is for the purpose ct
working out details and drawing m
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 10
obtain in the future her full snare
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-
tenn 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 i
cent gallon, which is also in effect |
and being paid, will provide for the
of the state highway |
system as it will be taken over for
on next January / and |
in addition will pay the interest and
on the proposed SIS, 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 i
hand, would be enormous. The most |
would be that Georgia |
would soon have a state highway sys- |
tenn Of perfection, 1890 miles in
length, with a 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 haying 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. i
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 a whole, |
with the idea of having the system j
built as it should be built, according
to the judgment of competent engi- |
neers and trained men, rather than
constructed on crazy quilt plan and
every remote section getting more
than it needed to. the sacrifice of the i
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 time when it is needed.
In Sumter county and a number
of others still third benefit would
come from the reimbursement bv the
state to the counties of the cost of
construction already done on the sys-
TEN. Sumter county has four of
these roadside Ellavill,e Smithyille,
Vienna and Plains roads - all of
which will have considerable perma-
nent paving laid by the time the bond
money is available. and for a,ra,,,r