The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1922-07-18
Reese Insists That Ferry Pass
Bridge Matter Be Settled And
Road Building Taken Up Later

and maintenance OF such highways
and bridges as may by law or by res
olution of any board Of county com.
missioness be placed under It's super
vision and control, together with all
powers for the exercise OF the right
of emminent domain, etc. etc
THE power of emminent domain con-
ferred on the state road department fol-
lows when a road has been turned over,
by resolution of the board of county
commissioners of the county, to the state
road department After the county COM
missioners, by proper resolution, have
placed a road under the state road de-
partment. then the state road department
has full authority and power The whole
spirit of the Act as rewritten in 1917 and
1919 is for the state road department to
advise and cooperate with the county
commissioners in each county, and roads
that are placed under the supervision
of the stae road department are special
ly defined by Section of the Amended
Act, 1919. as follows:
"Sec 2. The terms road and
roads as used In this Act shall be
construed to mean and Include all
highways for public travel, Including
means of crossing streams by ways of
bridges or ferries, under the URLS
dIctIon or control of the several coun-
ties of this state, or upon which they
may expend any public money or
cause any work to be done, or any
roads that may by this or any other
Act be placed under the supervision
and control Of the state road depart
ment, or any highway or bridge for
public travel within the boundaries,
or any proposed or existing special
road and bridge district"
Under the Act quoted. 1t is perfectly
proper after road in a county has been
established by the board of county com
missioners and agreed upon as state
aid road, or as a federal aid road, for
the state road department to have full
charge; but all of the acts bearing upon
this subject tremendously blend the CO.
operative action of the state road de-
partment with the acts of the boards of
county commissioners Of the several
counties. Nowhere in the Act is there
authority given to the state road depart
ment to 60 into a county and establish
a road without cooperation with the
board of county commissioners, and es-
pecial1y is this SO when the county is
furnish a greater portion of the money
to build that road.
Purpose OF Bonds.
"As a matter Of fact the bonds were
voted at the bond election September
29th, 1920, to build a road from a point
at or near the Ferry Pass bridge site on
Escambia river, to Pensacola. No
thought at that time was given to other
road from Ferry Pass to Pensacola ex-
cept the two direct roads then and now
existing, the one by way Of Goulding
and the other by way of Olive station,
joining the Pensacola Flomaton road.
state road number 1, as laid out by
the state road department on its official
map adopted for that section of state
road number /, in Escambia county from
Ferry Pass to Pensacola, the Burrow
road map Of Escambia county, showing
the road from Ferry Pass by way of
Goulding. This, of course, might be sub
ject to change, but only with the consent
and cooperation of the coard of county
commissioners, as have indicated be-
fore. However, all of these matters have
no place, at this time, before the state
road department. for the question Of
which Is the most desirable route to be
established is a matter to be threshed out
before the board of county commissioners
who are charged with the duty of laying
out roads, and this matter can easily
be deferred, and all of the energy Of a
united delegation should be conferred on
securing funds needed for Immediately
building the Ferry Pass bridge, and let
side issues take care of themselves in
the future.
''You win understand that am not in
terested in one route for the road above
another at this time. I express no opin-
ion as to which is the better route. All
1 am interested in Is keeping to and
tracking the law, and working unitedly
for the bridge.
Yours truly,
R. p REESE