Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-02-04
VICTORY FOR GOOD ROADS
MEANS MUCH TO ALABAMA

! MONTGOMERY, Ala, Feb. 2.-Ac-
cepting the overwhelming majority
for the highway bond amendment as
an expression of the desire of the
| voters for road construction work to
begin at once, the highway bond
commission and state highway COM
mission have started preliminary
plans for the carrying out Of the
road program as provided by the
laws of 1920.
Surveys have been made in a
great majority of the counties and
contracts for the roads can be let as
soon as the first issue of state bonds
can be sold. In order that there
may be no delay in the disposition
of three million dollars of the bonds
with which to match federal funds
already available, the highway bond
commission, composed of Governor
KiIby, Attorney General HarweI q.
Davis and John A. Rogers, chairman
of the state highway commission,
will submit at once the proposed
bonds to experienced bond attorneys
of the east in order that they may
be prepared to advise bond buyers
when the bonds are offered in the IL
nancial market.
When the bond attorneys have re-
ported the bond issue is legal and all
laws of Alabama complied with, the
state will be prepared to offer the
bonds. 1t is not doubted that the
first issue can be disposed OF With
out great delay and members OF the
bond commission believe it will not
be necessary to pay the maximum
amount permitted by the amend
ment, six per cent. Some states IN
recent months have disposed OF
bonds at less than five per cent.
Returns from a great majority OF
the counties indicates that the ma
iority in favor of the highway BOND
amendment will be as great as the
majority given for the first amend
ment February 10, 1920. The vote
against the amendment was scatter
ing and practically all cities ana
towns gave an overwhelming major
ity. Returns indicate that the city
of Mobile probable had led the larger
cities in the majority, it's vote Delng
about seVenty-five for the amend
ment to every one against 1t. How
ever, some of the small towns beat
this record by not casting a vote
against the amendment. Thls was
true of Eina, Franklin county, which
gave $50 for and none against, and
Newton, Dale county, with l42 Tor
and none against. Demopolis, Ma
renge county, did almost as well, Civ
ing 449 for and one against.
IT1-n,-oce,innc of ORG tjtI1dp ~ me
voters of the state for the confidence
shown in the amendment were ut
tered Tuesday by f. J. Cramton,
president of the Alabama Highway
Improvement association; w. S. KEEL
Ter. state highway engineer; A. Z.
Lodge, district engineer for the fed
eral government, and Governor
KiIby.
"I-was never of the opinion that
the amendment could be defeated"
said Mr.. Cramton. Il know the
people of Alabama were patriotic
enough to vote this bond issue when
it meant no increase in taxes and
meant permanent roads throughout
the state. Credit for the wonderful
victory must be given to the chair
men of the county campaign commit
tee and their able co-workers, to the
newspapers and to the good women.
The county chairmen and their as
sistants quit their private business
and stayed with the campaign. Only
four newspapers in the state so far
we are advised opposed the bond
four newspapers in the state so far as
we are advised opposed the bond
amendment, they being the Mountain
Eagle at Jasper, the Geneva Reaper
at Geneva, the South Albanian at
Jackson, and the Coosa River News
at Center. All others were in favor
of ratification. Too much cannot be
said about the work of the women.
They did more than their part in the
campaign and I verify believe ninety
five per cent of the votes cast by
women were in favor of the amend
ment.
Ratification means some wonder
full things for the state. The high
way commission can assure the peO-
pie that work will be started as soon
as the first bonds are sold"