The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1922-12-04
MAKE MORE MILES
OF POORER HIGHWAY
(Palatka News


OF POORER HIGHWAY
(Palatka News
With view of making greater
mileage of highways throughout Flor
ida the state road department has hit
upon plan that is bound to frittex
away the money of the people for q
mere temporary relief. The board
has approved" suggestion that IN
order to make better record in mile
age it will about half build a road,
giving no surfacing but leaving it in
a condition for surfacing, and thus
turn over "for record" a maximum
mileage; at the same time the mem
bers of that board should realize they
they are making but a make-shih
road which will be entirely worn out
before there is chance to finish it.
The following dispatch Partially ex-
plains the plan that has been" unani-
mously" adopted by the department.
Specifically the progressive sys-
tenn will be first applied to that por-
tion of state road lying in Brevard
county, seventy-odd miles. Under
this plan the federal government win
extend its financial cooperation even
though permanent surface is not
laid down on the roadbed. Judge
Philips explained the plan in detail
It provides for permanent grading
and drainage with lasting and gov
ernment approved road base. On the
construction of this portion of such
road the government will extend its
federal aid funds to cover so per cent
of the cost. The state is then allow
ed to lay an acceptable temporary
surface.
Following such plan the state is
enabled to cover vastly more miles Of
highway than would be possible If it
were necessary to make the road sur
face of permanent nature. Such
practice as we have decided on is not
generally approved by the federal
road department Judge Philips said
last night, but in the case of our
Florida roads full sanction has been
given. This means that we will be
able to spread our money to serve
more territory and to provide many
more mile of good and semi -prema-
nent highways than if we had to
complete for permanency each road
as we go along.
The main object of course Judge
Philips continued, is to provide Flor
ida with a system of roads as soon
as possible. Under the progressive
system we win have under each road
so treated permanent grade and
permanent base. Later when funds
are available we can go back and pro-
vide the permanent surface. The
temporary surface, however, viii be
good for years with proper mainte-
Inance.'n
"Such practice as we have decided
upon is not generally approved by the
federal road department" indicates
that point is being strained IN order
''to make a better showing" even tho
the state road department admits
that the work win be "semi-perma-
Inent." Had the department func-
toned as it should frcm the start
there would have been no need Of
lscattering mileage of half-made
roads throughout the ts4te at this
stage of the game
/ The state road department knows,
it it is as well posted as it should be
latter the experience it had had, that
to half construct road, let It be
used for year or so, and then try to
make it real road, means an expen-
ditRre Of funds IN way that one dol
lar does the ultimate work of fifty
. cents; and it knows that it is not
building lasting monuments for itself.
i What Florida needs is good roads
the sort the counties build for them
selves. The primary cost Is consider
; able; but once down and then looked
: after as q railway looks after It's
] trackage, the after expense is but
trifing. Florida has spent vast sums
for her roads-her good roads; and
J it is most impolitic for a department
! of this sort 10 function m a way that
] will waste large sums and then not
ihave a safizfaeffsrv svr$Ur. ~ v-,.,zu