The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1922-06-06
HERE is MORE ABOUT
ROAD BONDS
STARTS ON PAGE ONE

original bargain, in the hope OF con-
vineing the department it had the funds
in sight and was morally bound to ap-
propriate us enough to start work We
had been told repeatedly by members Of
the department that this could not be
done; our brief was prepared in advance,
carefully re-edited by the commission
and I was delegated to present it to the
meeting in October. 1921. It is fortunate
that this brief Is a matter Of record in
the files OF tho state ROAD department
and our commission, and WAS printed in
full in The Journal OF Saturday morning
October 20, 1921. It was upon this claim
and upon these conditions alone that the
quarter OF million Of federal aid was given
u, To try at this late dato to put any
other construction on, or to wriggle out
OF the bargain we have made would mean
rank Reputation and notification Of all
the acts OF those who havc lahorcd so
hard in the interest OF getting roads built
in this county. Heretofore no cry has
been raised THAI this was not agood bar
gain and we took this quarter million and
hope to spend Il. If it was not a good
bargain, then the time for the ''holler"
was when 1t was allotted and not now.
After the allotment Of this money, the
federal authorities raised the question
that there was no assurance Of enough
money to complete the Flomaton road, as
the money from federal aid was then ul-
timatcly intended for the bridge. and to
meot this objection. the department def
initeIy allotted the money TO these roads
in an amount sufficient to guarantee
their completion, and promised to make
a further allotment to complete the
bridge
Permit me to quote here part of the
Journals account Of our presentation to
the state road department Of claim for
federal aid.
CATER reviewing at length previous ne
gotiatlons and the justice Of our claim
the brief states)
I'VE have voted s15Oo,0 600 for paving
the state highways in this county, which
VIC believe viii be enough money to COM
p,ete them, with possibly few thousand
dollars on one of them in addition TO the
bond money. The Escambia bridge is
not in Escambia county, except for about
500 wards. we are not, therefore, asking
the state to come into Escambia county
ana contribute to our road building IN
any very considerable sum- We are the
third largest county In Florida in point
OF population assessed property, and the
payment OF taxes. and we pay very
considerable portion OF the tax which
supports your department, and which is
now being used by you in building roads
in other parts Of the state. When our
road system is complete, we win practi-
cally pay the entire cost ourselves direct
~ by county taxation, and our taxes from
now henceforth win be used by YOU in
building roads in other parts Of the state
II we have not shown a liberal spirit in
this respect then where can you point
10 a county in Florida that has been less
selfish than we?
What we are asking is simply this;
That you declare roads Nos. l and in
Escambia county federal aid projects;
that you take our million and half dollars
and build these roads, as you have OBJ
ligated yourself to do; that you collect
from the federal government the proper
ton OF money which it puts into these
projects and that this sum should re-
main a special fund to build the bridge
over the Escambia river. In this way
the state Of Florida will not be called
upon to contribute one nickle towards
the cost Of either the roads or bridge If
the bridge were declared federal aid
project, then the state would have to
contribut one half it's cost, less the one
hundred thousand dollars the two coun-
ties put up. This money is not in sight,
and win not be in sight for years to
come. Unless you follow our Plaza now,
when the bond money for our roads Is
available as a basis of credit for federal
aid. then we feel that the delay will
eventually make the building of the
bridge such an uncertainty as to upset
all our plans and promises. We believe
the time to act Is now, and that the
project should not be started until the
financing of tho completed bridge Is pro-
vided for. To allot only enough to COM
mence the bridge would mean one Of
two things, either TO hold up indefinitely
our county road building under the bond
issue so that it's use could be used later
to complete the bridge, or to 50 ahead
to completion with the roads and demand
on state money TO complete the bridge.
Either result would not be in keeping
with good business methods and would
be highly unfair TO our citizens in the
delay and uncertainty entailed,"
This proposition and the action thereon
by the state road department received In
the same issue Of The Journal. an edi-
torial reference, and a commentator of
the commission for its work in securing