The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1921-02-18
SENATOR CLARK
HUGE BOND ISSUE
FOR GOOD ROADS
FIFTY MILLION DOLLAR PROPOSE
TON WOULD BE OPPRESSIVE
HE DECLARES.
TAXES ALREADY DURDENSONE
Ever Increasing Load OF Taxes Has
About Reached the Limit, Says One
of the Most Ardent Advocates. Of
Good Roads.

1
Former Senator Clarke is just as
much opposed to $4,000, 900 bond Is
sue by the state for road construction
as he was at the time he as a senator
two years ago contributed to its de-
feat. Just before leaving for ten
days business trip and vacation to
| Mississippi and Louisiana, Senator
Clarke gave out the following inter
| view:
mo doubt you have seen that an
ether bill for $5O,O00,O0O for highways
has been intoduced in the legislature,
the author or authors seeming to for.
get the fate that befell the last one
when the people got chance to put
a quetus on it.
81 do not know whether this proves
that hope still springs eternal, ETC.
or that it argues that If at first you
don't succeed, to keep on trying or
| that it is thought that by their i'm
portunity they may weary u.s. but
whichever is the case, | think that all
conservative men should oppose such
a measure at this time when our state
/ is struggling under tax burdens that
are already grievous to be borne.
Il dare say it will be argued from
this bill that the automobile will pay
the interest and bonds, assuming that
the automobile will by and of itself
do the paying, but want to ask If this
is not as much out of the pockets Of
the automobile owners as any other
tax. The automobile has ceased to
be the toy of the idle rich, but it is
and should be vehicle of utility, and
the owners should not longer be con-
sidered the legitimate prey of every
one from the third assistant tire
changer at the garage to our most
potent grave and reverend neighbors.
mo one in this county can accuse
me of being opposed to good roads
and highways, for my two hobbies are
good roads and good schools but Ten
nessee is not the state and this is not
the time for such chimerical schemes
as this. When this same scheme
came up in 1919, when had the honor
to represent the 'Dimplo OF the Uni
verse in the senate. had to oppose
some of the best friends | had there
when this bill came up, but our side
had the powerful assistance OF The
Herald, the Banner and other strong
papers, and when the day came fol
the people to vote on the measure, the
defeat was so pronounced, | thought
it would be a long time before II
would bob UP again.
Another point which ought not tt
be lost sight of, if this bill is framed
as believe it. and that is If the $50.
100000 is issued, to be taken care OF
by the tax on automiles, the liability
will be on the state, but suppose tina
in two short years the law is chang
ed, taking the tax off of automobiles
and putting it on general property
where would all OF us be? This is no
an idle dream, for we have many laws
that are changed every year, and thu
road law is one OF the changeablt
kind, as we all have reason to know
II that should occur, the man with thu
little home or truck patch would have
to pay for the luxury of highways IL
the same proportion as his wealth.
neighbor who glides by on the high
way in his twin six, taking no though
Of the morrow.
"If expenses keep on piling up upol
us, whether in direct taxes, automo
bile taxes or what not, and we keep VI
the mad race to spend money and d.
not call a halt, we may soon reach tn
point where we may have our high
!. ways all dressed and nobody able t
ride on them