Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1922-02-03


name of teh state highway depart
ment Of Georgia that would be ade-
quate to handle these federal funds
along with county funds, and the mo-
tor vehicle law was enacted which
was intended at that time to prepare
the way for bond issue, the motor
vehicle tax to pay interest and re-
| tire this bond issue when passed by
! the state.
All Being Used Now.
The license tax for the past two
years has been approximately ST.
100000 per year, and since 1920,
on the Fast two years, has been used
IN the construction and maintenance
of federal aid projects designated by
the state highway department at vi
tai connecting links on the state sys-
TEN of roads. For 1922 the law has
been changed to allow these funds
to do little more than maintain the
present roads in the State of Georgia
and must be prorated as per the@s state
road mileage in each county to that
county, In other words, the present
tax is being used as a principal, en-
tlrely used up each year, instead of
being capitalized in creating a bond
issue for the practically immediate
construction of said system as was in
tended in the constructive legislation
iof 1919 when the motor vehicle law
was passed. From this present mo-
for Vehicle tax six per cent of all
funds handled by the state highway
department and $4,000 arc to be
deducted for the maintenance of the
highway department and emergen-
cicS respectively This fund will only
maintain roads and not build new
ones, so that we are at present de-
pending upon county and federal
funds with which to build new roads.
Under this system in the opinion of
the speaker it is estimated that it
will be 80 to 40 years before the
State of Georgia can realize it's com
pleted system Of state roads.
/ "Thc federal aid bill passed Nov.
-, 1921, was compromise bill be-
tween the Townsend and Dowcll-
Pitts bills for $75,O0O,00O as an
emergency fund TO allow the state
highway departments to continue
with their programs until June, 1922,
when it is expected that another s.
year program at least will be passed
ito allow road work to continue as
before The new federal aid law pro-
yldes that these funds must be spent
on only per cent Of the public
roads on record in the state at the
time and must be designated by the
state highway department. This 7
per cent is practically what our state
system as shown on the state road
map amounts to al the present time.
Provisions Of Law.
The new law further provides
that four-seyenths Of this per cent
must be designated as inter-county
roads and three-sevenths as inter
state roads, and further that SO per
cent of the federal funds must be
Ispent on the primary or Interstate
system. These roads would be our
main highways connecting up the
larger cities and the inter-county
Iroads Would connect all county seats.
The law further provides that the
states whose constitutions do not pro
vide for state funds to match federal
funds at present are to be given three
years in which to amend their con-
stitutions SO that state funds may be
provided. That is the reason it is
most important that immediate leg
islation be enacted in order that our
constitution may be amended in time
not TO lose two years federal aid.
| There is a general election in 1922
st which time q bond election must
be held as there is not another gem
cral election until 1924. This bond
issue must be carried by two-thirds
OF the registered voters Of the state.
"a meeting was held in Macon on
December IA organizing the Good
Roads association of Georgia, which
Is made up of the most prominent
citizens OF the State of Georgia, and
whose duty it will be to carry the
necessity of such bond issue to the
door Of every person in Georgia and
show by actual figures computed by
competent auditors and approved by
the foremost business men Of the
state that the bond issue is practical
from every standpoint; that the mo-
tor vehicle license tax, with the one
cent gasoline tax, win pay the inter-
Fcst5 retire The bonds, create a fund
of $1,000, 900 d year for maintenance
and leave surplus at the end of thir-
ty years of S30,000,00O to cover
contingencies. It IS not the duty Of
the speaker to promote the S75,000,-
900 bond issue, but it is the object
of the Good Roads association to do
this, and ] am merely giving you this
information as requested at your last
meeting as Rotarians, because ! do
not believe there will be dissenting
voice to the bond issue once it is
understood by all members.
Sell Tenth Each Year
1t the duty, however. of the
= ~ 81 49, +. t, - 4