The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1922-01-15
ANY REASONABLE CONCESSION.


neer to Pensacola, and his review of
the Escambia county road projects,
and examination of the physical char
scteristics of the county, has brought
out two facts which Mr.. Morrison
seemed to wish made very clear. One
is that the United States government
does not, allow the use of federal aid
funds upon any roads except those
which form part of continuous high
ways, and the other, that some means
must be used TO avoid railroad cross
ings.
Escambia county now faces the ne
cessity of making a detour in the
Roberts neighborhood in order to
avoid the railroad crossings, tunneling
under the road, using viaduct, or
some other means of avoiding the rail-
roads.
The rule Of the government that
such crossings should be avoided is
good and reasonable one. The saw
ing of life is something that cannot be
too carefully considered.
Escambia county faces the same
problem in its road program today
that other counties are facing all over
the country. Roads must be built if the
country is to be developed, and, in
order to reach their fullest deNcxop
ment aid must be secured where pos
sible. Escambia has been fortunate
in the opportunity which is presented
this county to secure a quarter million
dollars of government money. This
sum has been promised the county,
and it needs only the recommendation
1,
cure this large amount of federal aid.
This is no small sum that we have
to consider. A quarter of a million dol
lars win mean much toward road de-
velopment. and it's withdrawal would
be a great handicap in carrying out the
road program of the county.
The Journal realizes that in the de-
cisions which the county commission
ers have to make in this matter they
have much to weigh. 1t was a great
disappointment to the board to find
that no part of the federal fund could
be spent on the Nunez Ferry road, and
it was also disappointing to learn that
the county would have to make the de-
tour at Roberts, or use some other
means of avoiding the railroad cross
ings.
But such things are incidental to any
large enterprises Concessions must
be made, and any rea sonable conces-
sion on the part of the. county seems
worth while, in view of the large sum
at stake.
1t would seem from the experience of
county commission : in other parts
of the state, that the oest way to ham
die the situation would be to agree to
make the detour, as suggested by Mr..
Morrison while in Pensacola, and to
take steps at once to that end.
Other counties in Florida have found
such detours a better plan than ex-
pensive tunneling under railroad
tracks, and the plan as drawn by the
county engineer and presented at the
seemed an excellent one, and
had received the approval of the Sc
nior engineer Of the bureau of public
works.
1t is understood that the majority
of the property holders whose lands
would be affected by the detour in any
way are not opposed to the change.
In both Alachua and St. Lucie Coun-
ties it has been necessary to make de-
tours, in some cases through valuable
grove properties; but these conces-
sions were made in order to get the
funds to build the county
roads.
In considering the question of good
roads, too many people of the county
seem to feel that the entire burden of
their building rests upon the commits
sioners, but they are not the molly ones
who have duty to the county.
Any persons who in any way OBJ
struct the building of the roads are
responsible for delay, and The Journal
believes that the people of the county
are far too liberal minded to place an
obstruction in the way of building
public highways.
There is no class OF people who will
more directly benefit from the high
ways than will the farmers and resi-
dents of the rural districts, and i'll
such a small matter as a slight detour
in the county road will make possible
an accession to the county of a quarter
Of a million dollars to be used for
building those roads, it seems hardly
reasonable to believe that there will
be any real, concerted opposition tot
such a change in the road program on
the part of the people through whose |
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