The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1922-05-26
Why NOT SYSTEM?

4
The Eiwanis club. always keeping
close touch with public affairs. yes
terday put itself on record as against
the letting of the contracts for the six
and half miles Of road. to be award :
ed on May Both. These patches OF
road have been mentioned so often in
the columns of The Journal as to be
thoroughly familiar to all citizens or
Escambia-two miles west of Pensa-
Goa, four miles, coming south from
( Flomaton, and half mile on the Pine
Barren hill.
In The Journal of April 26, the
amount estimated by the county engi-
neer to cover these three projects was
estimated at s19s, 1850. At the time.
The Journal was asked to keep these
figures out of its columns, but beIicy-
ing that the people had a right to
know how and in what amounts the
commissioners were figuring on spend
ing the bond money, published alle fig
ures, as taken from the records at the
court house.
Following this and several other ar
ticles along the same line, The Journal
published an interview with Commits
sioner T. T. Wentworth, in which Mr.
Wentworth expressed himself as
strongly opposed to the expenditure Of
the county money on these three short
stretches Of road, and on last Sunday
published an article by w. Chipley
Jones, in which Mr. Jones took the
ground that the commissioners had no
right to spend this money at this time,
without federal aid and with the work
done without the superintendent of
the state highway department.
This morning The Journal is pub
fishing the resolutions of the Kiwanis
club and a second article from Mr.
Jones on this subject.
These interviews and this resolution
go to show that the citizens are not
asleep at the Switch" and The Jour-
nal believes that the county commits
sioners would do we'll to heed the
warning note that is being sounded,
and to defer large expenditures of the
peoples money until more opportune
time.
II, as is claimed by the county COM
missioners, ''Escambia county has
practically enough money to complete
It's whole road paving program and
build the Ferry PISS bridge" why not
advertise for bids on longer stretches
OF road%-paving in systematic way,
and not patch Of road here and there
as Is now being contemplated?
system pays in county affairs as in
everything else, and it would seem to
be the part of wisdom to pave the
roads in such a way as TO best con-
serve the interests OF the entire coun-
ty.
1t Is only natural to suppose that
contractors bidding on these roads
would make better bids and that the
money could be spent more economic
ally If the work was done in a more
systematic way.
The Journal believes that the people
OF the county, as whole, win take
this view of the matter. The people
OF Escambia county are intelligent
farmers and business men who realize
that the bond issue of $1,500,0O0 fsom
which the Pensacola-F lonnaton and
Nunez Ferry roads receive funds,
comes out OF the pockets of Pensa-
cola citizens as well as those in the
rural districts.
Seventy per cent of the people of
Escambia county reside in Pensacola
and seventy per cent of the taxes
which will be paid on these county
roads come out Of the pockets of PEN
scSoIa citizens.
These citizens have no desire to OBJ
struct the road program in any way
On the contrary, they are eager to get
the work on the Flomaton and the
Nunez Ferry roads under way. But
there are economical ways of doing
things and extravagant ways, and if
the money is spent in the extravagant
way now contemplated, it is safe to
say that the commissioners will find
that they have not practically enough
money to complete it's whole road paw
ing program and to build the Ferry
Pass bridge"
Because the county has enough
money for it's needs--if it has enough
--is no reason why this money should
be spent in any way but the best and