Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, Ga.) 1921-1964, 1922-07-27
Bond Bill Salts
factory To Good
Roads Body
T. G. Farmer Says Amount Will
Do Much Good

~ Ian n, Ia L ne georgia
Good Roads association on Saturday
issued statement through T. G. Far
mer, managing director, stating that
it was satisfied with the highway bond
issue bill as proposed by the highway
committees of the house and senate
and introduced in both bodies last
week.
The bill is not as much as the asso-
citation had hoped for, Mr.. Farmer
states, but it will at least make start.
1t provides for yearly bond issue to
be approved by the legislature starting
the first year with 100000 and con-
tinuing thereafter for ten years, the
Legislature not to approve any year an
issue greater than can be retired with
the gasoline and motor vehicle license
taxes, and to be limited each year to
maximum of 100000.
The statement of Mr.. Farmer is as
follows.
"The bond issue bill agreed upon
and submitted to the house of repre-
resentatives by the joint roads COM
mittee OF the house and senate does
not carry out the plan in full as
suggested by the Good Roads asso-
citation and does not provide as ex-
tensive plan of construction as the
association had hoped to be adopted
by this legislature but it is start and
the Good Roads association is willing
to adopt any plan that will provide
funds to match federal aid and con-
tinue the construction of the state sys-
tenn of roads.
The bill suggested by the Georgia
Good Roads Association provided for
an issue of $75,000,OOO of bonds over
a period of ten years by issuing $1O,-
100000 in 1928 and 1924 and $6,OO0,O0O
in 1925 and 100000 nj each year
thereafter until the total of $75,0OO,0OO
had been issued. There was provision
in the bill to the effect that no bonds
could be issued or sold unless the rev
enue in the state from the motor fuls
tax and motor vehicle license fees,
would retire said bonds, both as to
principal and interest, based upon the
preceding years collection. The bill
submitted by the joint committee pro-
vides that only $5,O00,0OO of bonds can
be issued in the year 1928 and this is
the only amount provided to be is
sued at this time, but the general as
sembly is given the power to issue
from time to time during the period
from 1928 to 1882 AN amount of bonds
that W per cent of the proceeds from
the motor vehicle license fees and the
motor fuels tax will retire, both as to
principal and interest. The legislature
is limited to an issuance of only $1,000
600 of bonds in any one year. This
provision leaves the issuance of any
additional bonds in the hands of the
legislature from year to year.
"The bill suggested by the Geor
gia Good Roads association gave the
legislature the power and authority to
remove the 5-mill limit of taxation
If it became necessary to retire the
bonds, but the bill submitted by the
joint committee does not remove the
5-mill limit, and leaves that section of
the constitution as it now stands. I'm
der these two provisions it will be ply
sically impossible for the ad valoremn
tax to ever be increased to retire the
bonds, for, in the first place, the is
suance of bonds is based upon only
W per centum of the revenue from the
motor vehicle license fees, and the gas
Cline tax, and in the second place,
the Legislature is not given the pow
er and authority to levy more, than
5 mills on each dollar of the value of
property taxable in the state to retire
the bonds.
The proposed bill of the Georgia
Good Roads Association provided that
money derived from the sale of bonds
should be used by the state highway
department for the building, improv-
ing and paving the state aid roads and
reimbursing counties that have here
tofore built, improved or paved any
portion of the system of state aid roads
The refund to counties under the Good
Roads association bill being 50 per
cent in the year 1923 and 50 per cent
in the year 1924.
Under the bill proposed by the
Joint committee, the funds derived
from the sale of bonds shall be ex-
pendtd in building, improving and paw
ing the state aid roads and reimburs-
ing counties by the state highway de-
partment cannot expend less than S.
600 of all available funds per mile and
not more than $4,000 of the states
fund per mile upon any one road in
the state. The state highway depart
ment is also required to first complete
one road in every county in the state
which traverses the county and passes
through the county seat. After COM
pleting one such road, traversing any
county, the state highway department
shall not thereafter build any other
road in that county until it shall have
completed one such road in every
county in the state.