Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-08-10
Constructive Highway Bills
IRE Imberatipe1n Needed
Are Il:
= OR the General Assembly to adjourn
4 without taking constructive action

II without taking constructive action
on the need for highway legislation
would be grave injustice to the entire Com
monwealth. Every interest of moment to the
people is involved. The marketing of their
crops the enhancement of their land values.
the upbuilding of schools, the enrichment of
social contacts, the quickening Of the basic
springs Of prosperity and progress will all
be served if the right sort Of highway meas
ures are adopted-and will all be injured il
this great duty be left undone.
Two needs are especially urgent: First,
that the Statae be enabled to meet the re-
quirements for participating in Federal aid;
and next, that the construction and upkeep
of an inclusive highway system to connect all
county seats be continued. Should the first
be neglected, Georgia would lose millions Of
dollars in allotments from the national treas
ury; should the second, she would lose
grievously in service at home and in reputa-
ton abroad. Now both of these imperative
needs are provided for in the highway bond
issue bills which have been agreed upon
and introduced by the joint Roads Committee
Of the House and Senate: and as they afford
the only probable ground upon which diver
gent opinion may be harmonized, they should
receive the support Of all who are concerned
for the best interests of their own constitu-
ents and for the good of the State as whole.
While these bills do not go as far as some
friends of highway development had hoped,
they are nevertheless forward-minded and
substantial. They take care of threatened
crises; they secure the title to rights and
benefits which otherwise would be lost;
they provide for a building program that
will profit every community and every citi-
zen within Georgia's bounds. Surely, the
House and Senate will not neglect so great
an opportunity to serve the common veal.
The most conservative should be satisfied
with the moderate amount of the proposed
bond issue and with the safeguards which
hedge it about The bills of the joint COM
mittee provide for only five millions Of bonds
in 1928 They empower the Legislature to
authorize within it's discretion, from time to
time during the ten-year period of 1923-1932,
issuance of highway bonds under the follow
ing restrictions: .'No bonds shall be author
lied in any year unless ninety per centum of
that portion Of the proceeds from the motor
vehicle licepce tax, the motor fuels tax, and
any lubricating oils tax for the year preced-
ing the authorization Of such additional
bonds exceeds the sum of the annual
interest on the outstanding bonds and on
the additional bonds proposed to be issued in
such year and Of the prescribed annual pay
ment on the principal of all such bonds. !"
Moreover, there is a limit of seven million
dollars to the maximum issue for any one
year, and the five-mill ad valorem tax limit
is left as it is, uninvolved. One who believes
at all in highway construction should find it
easy to support this prudent measure.
If constructive legislation is not enacted,
the people will pay dearly in consequence.
Every power of enlightened public opinion
within the Commonwealth, every influence
Of craftsmanship within the General Assem-
bly, should be mustered to the passage Of
these exceedingly important bills.