The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1922-10-02
SMITHS RESIGNATION FROM
THE ROAD DEPARTMENT

Tallahassee, Oct. 1-Governor Har-
dee announces that he has received
and accepted the resignation of J. D.
Smith, of Mariana, as a member of
the state road department from the
third congressional district. At the
same time, the governor stated that
he would appoint W. NJ. Cory of
Quincy, to succeed Mr.. Smith, calling
attention to the fact that a successor
must, according to law, be appointed
from the same district. Mr.. Smiths
term of office would have expired next
Wednesday, October A.. He states his
reasons for resigning the Office in the
following letter to the governor:
Mariana, Sept. %, 1922.
Dear Governor Hardee: AS per for
mer notification mailed you several
days ago that | intended to send IN
my resignation in few days, | hereby
tender said resignation as a member
of the state road department, repre-
senting the third congressional dis
trict of the state of Florida.
/ had intended to Go this some time
ago and have so stated and | believe
should have done so, but from the fact
that several sections interested in my
territory, as we'll as other parts of
the state, have persuaded me to defer
this matter. Then, too, l did want to
first see that west Florida and the
third congressional district was assur-
ed of bridges so travel could pass
from the west to the east without the
use of ferries.
The last one of these bridges, which
is of vast Importance, not yet quite
being assured was Escambia bridge.
| had differed with the road de-
partment from the time that this
board was given the power to con
struct roads, concerning its genera
way of conducting the affairs of th'
department, especially in method:
adopted for appropriating its funds
as we'll as it's other various assets.
The legislature made a mistake il
creating this law, when power wa
given to the state road department t.
construct roads, by not creating al
act at the same time governing thi
very point of distributing this none,
by some fair system, we might say b,
a budget system, or if not the &C
should have stated how the state roa
department must distribute these as
sets in congressional districts or i
certain territories, we might say, sim
liar to the laws governing the fedora
aid appropriations. But as this wa
not done the state road department
should have of itself enacted bulge
system of some kind that would hav
given to each section or certain road
practically what they deserved.
have always stated that this depart
ment must get together on som
plans like this before much real sati!
faction would come from our labors.
I have letter that was written b
the Honorable Ed. Scott, before
left US, admitting that the boar
should have accepted this idea whic
had suggested from the very begin
ming. That he saw the present sy
tenn was not going to be satisfactory
Other states are operating under
budget system which is giving mue
better satisfaction to people than v
are giving under our present syster
which is really more or less of grs
game.
I believe that the next legislatu
will see its former mistakes and gil
us a better road law. hope my su
cessor will prove credit to your a
ministration. l will further state tn
no one in my territory has any know
edge of this resignation going in
the Governors office