The Ocala evening star., 1922-10-28
FAIR TREATMENT
FOR OUR COUNTY
So Fair There Is No Reason for Mar
ion to Complain of the State
ROAD Department

There was no need or justification
for Marion county to make a protest
to the state road department at its
regularly quarterly meeting in Talla-
hassee this week. The department
has agreed to do as well by this coun-
ty as by any in the state and there is
every reason to believe that the con-
tract with this county will be carried
out. The road department, lacking
funds at this time, will not be able to
put a surface on road No. 2 through
Marion county for some time to come,
and the immediate problem to be
solved is the matter of maintaining
the base which is now being put down.
1t is possible that part of the road
thru the county can be made federal
aid project and thus completed. This
is matter for the county commits
sioners and bond trustees to handle
with the department. The problem of
maintaining those stretches of the
limerick base that cannot be surfaced
at present resolves itself into decis-
ion as to whether it will be cheaper
to use temporary cover of oil or to
use a patrol system of repairs.
These are the opinions of Secretary
Louis H. Chazal of the Chamber of
Commerce, who went to Tallahassee
on Monday at the request of the Mar
ion County Motor Club and sat thru a
session of the road department on
Tuesday. The county commissioners
and the bond trustees did not go to
Tallahassee. They did not get away
on Monday and Mr.. Chazal telegra phi
ed that they could not reach Tallahas-
see before the road department ad-
journed. Mr.. Chazal did not take up
any matters with the department ex>
cept to support the request made by
Mr.. B. ]. Benson of Dunnellon, for the
grading of road No. thru this county
and the request of Secretary Clarence
Woods of the Sumter County Chamber
of Commerce for aid in wiping out
the five or six miles of bad road which
form a missing link on the Seaboard
highway in the extreme eastern part
cf fernando county.
Secretary Chazal says that the five
members of the road department al
present constitute personnel which
is probably stronger than any since
the department was first organized
He thinks that the five members have
a statewide viewpoint and are trying
to do the best they can with what the
department has in the way of funds
Much more has been accomplished by
the department than most people real
ize. A statewide bond issue will b.
necessary if the system of state roads
is to be anywhere near completed
within the next few years. The bone
issue will. of course, have to tax,
into consideration the fact that man,
counties, in South Florida in partic
ular. have built state roads with thei
own funds. The road department ha
designated in cooperation with tn
bureau of public roads comprehens
i've system of state roads, which toucl
every county seat in the state, and al
effort is being made by the depart
ment to connect up as soon as possibl
the missing links in the trunk lin
roads. Up to date road No. from
Pensacola to Jacksonville has ha
more state and federal funds spen
upon it than any other road, and Sout
Florida counties have gotten the leas
from the department. There has bee
serious delay in providing for tn
missing links in state roads Nos.
and which could he the quickest com
pleted roads into and out of Florida
Not until its meeting this week di
the department make provision for tn
Continued on Fourth Page)