Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1922-02-03

eiented an organization under the
name of teh state highway depart
tment of Georgia that would be ade-
lauate to handle these federal funds
along with county funds, and the mo-
tor vehicle law was enacted which
was intended at that time to prepare
the way for bond issue, the motor
vehicle tax to pay interest and re-
tire this bond issue when passed by
the state.
All Being Used Now.
The license tax for the past two
years has been approximately ST.
100000 per year, and since 1920,
or the past two years, has been used
IN the construction and maintenance
of federal aid projects designated by
the state highway department at vi
tai connecting links on the state sys-
ten, of roads For 1922 the law has
lbeen changed to allow these funds
to do little more than maintain the
present roads in the State of Georgia
and must be prorated as per the state
road mileage in each county to that
county In other words, the present
tax is being used as a principal. en-
Itirely used up each year, instead of
being capitalized in creating a bond
issue for the practically Immediate
construction Of said system as was in
tended in the constructive legislation
Of 1919 when the motor vehicle law
was PASSED. From this present mo-
tor vehicle tax six per cent of all
funds handled by the state highway
departmfiit and $4,000 are to be
deducted for the maintenance of the
highway department and emergen-
cies respectively. This fund will only
maintain roads and not build new
ones, SO taht we are at present de-
lpending upon county and fedora
funds with which to build new roads.
Under this system in the opinion of
the speaker it is estimated that it
will be 30 to 30 years before the
State of Georgia can realize its COM
pleted system of state roads.
The federal aid bill passed Nov
~, l92l, was compromise bill be-
tween the Townsend and Dowell-
Pitts bills for SIS, 100000 as an
emergency fund to alloy the state
highway departments to continue
with their programs until June. 1922.
when it is expected that another s.
year program at least will be passed
ito allow road work to continue as
before, The new federal aid law pro-
fvides that these funds must be spent
ION only per cent of the public
roads on record in the state at the
time and must be designated by the
state highway department. This Z
per cent is practically what our state
system as shown on the state road
map amounts to at the present time.
Provisions of Law.
THE new law further provides
THAT four-sevenths of this 1 per cent
must be designated as inter-county
Iroads and three-sevenths as inter
state roads, and further that 60 per
Icent' of. the federal funds must be
spent on the primary or Interstate
system. These roads would be our
main highways connecting up the
larger cities and the inter-county
rods would connect all county seats.
The law further provides that the
! states whose constitutions do not pro-
vide for state funds to match federal
funds at present are to be given three
years in which to amend their con-
stitutions SO that state funds may be
| provided. That is the reason it is
most important that immediate leg
islation be enacted in order that our
| constitution may be amended in time
not to lose two years federal aid.
There is general election in 1922
at which time bond election must
+, be held as there is not another gen
| eral election until 1924. This bond
issue must be carried by two-thirds
Of the registered voters of the state.
"A meeting was held IN Macon on
December IA organizing the Good
Roads assoeiatio nof Georgia, which
| IS made up of the most prominent
citizens Of the State of Georgia, and
, whoes duty it will be to carry the
necessity Of such bond issue to the
door Of every person IN Georgia and
show by actual figures computed by
competent auditors and approved by
the. foremost business men Of the
Estate that the bond issue is practical
from every standpoint; that the mo-
tor vehicle license tax, with the one
lcent gasoline tax, will pay the inter-
est, retire the bonds, create a fund
fof $f,000,000 a year for maintenance
and leave surplus at the end of thir-
ty years of $30,000,0 900 to cover
contingencies. 1t rs not the duty of
the speaker to promote the $75 ,00O,-
900 bond issue, but it is the object
tof the Good Roads association to do
this, and ] am merely giving you this
binformation as requested at your lass
meeting as .Rotarians, because do
not believe there will be dissenting
voice to the bond issue once it is
understood by all members.
Sell Tenth Each Year.
1T $ the duty, however, Of the
Confined on Page 81