The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-02-04
Board of Revenue Co-operat-
 ing With City Commission in
 Construction of Suburban Highways on East and West Borders of Birmingham
ROGERS WORKING ON DATA FOR REMAINING PROJECTS
Policy of Completing Work Within Twelve Months Is to
 Be Adhered To--Proposed
 Gasoline Tax Is Expected to Add to Available Funds

be spent by Jefferson county in the building of roads during the year, according to estimates prepared for the board of revenue by c. J. Rog- CTS, county highway engineer. This will mean an expenditure of more than $2,000,000 in two years for the improvement and maintenance of roads in the county.
 The county now has TO miles of hard-surfaced roads, 500 miles of macadamized roads and 200 miles of graded roads ready for surfacing. In addition contracts have been let for the building of 29 additional miles of hard-surfaced roads at a cost of between $700,000 and $800,- coo during the year. While a num- Der of other roads have been prom ised by the board of revenSe, just where the remaining S300,00o of the road fund for the year will be expended has not been determined. .--- The 29 miles of hard-surfaced roads to be built this year are dis tributed as follows: Pratt-City- Birmingham road, five miles; Iron dale Woodlawn road, two miles; North Bessemer road, eight miles, and Chalkville road, IA miles.
 The coNlty will be assisted in the building of the Pratt City-Bessemer road and the Irondale-W Woodlawn road by the city. These projects are expected to cost approximately $200,000. Of this amount the county will pay 60 per cent and the city 40 per cent. Work on part of these projects has already been started. However, part of the Pratt City, Birmingham road is said to be held up through the failure of the city to obtain rights of way. Condemnation proceedings Io remedy this situation will be instituted soon, 1t IS thought.
 Working Out Futher Plans
 MT. Rogers is working on data to be submitted to the board of revenue at an early date in order that the remaining road program for the wear may be mapped out. It Is be- ueyed that all of the projects for the year will be under way soon.
 During the year 1922 the county expended s1.250,0o0 in maintaining and building roads. according to MT. Rogers. This amount was divided so that approximately $75o,o00 was used in the construction of roads and the remaining $500,000 in main taining and repairing highways that were beginning to wear out.
 In addition to the 700 miles of hard surfaced and macadamized roads which the county will have at the end of the year, it has hundreds of miles of graded dirt roads which remain in good condition the year round. There are also 200 miles Of graded roads ready for surfacing. However. the board of revenue has adopted the policy of not preparing any road fo. surfacing until the time comes to apply the metal. This policy means that any road work undertaken in one year will be com pleted before the end of the year. The proposed bill pending in the [ state senate providing for two-cent tax on gasoline to be used for the construction and maintenance of roads ie expected to add materially to Jefferson county's road funds when 1t is finally passed. The bill as if is now written would collect in Jefferson county approxlmately s20o, ,o0O annually and retyrn to the county less than $20,000. Such law would be to improve roads in other counties at the expense of and With the money rightfrlly belonging to Jefferson county, ia the opinion or members of the board of revenue.
 Gasoline Tax Compromise
 It was rumored at the court house Saturday, however, that com promise had been reached in the leg islature whereby Jefferson county would not be placed at such great disadvantage when the bill becomes a law. This compromise. it is un- derstood, provides that the funds collected from the gasoline tax be paid to the state and then be re- turned to the counties in proportion to the number of miles of road in each county. Under this plan Jeff ferson county wi more than 1000 miles of road, a greater number than any county in the state, would fare much better than it would under the present provisions of the bill.
 The bill as originally drawn pro- vided for a tax of two cents on each gallon of gasoline sold in the ! state, the proceeds to be divided equally between the county in which the tax was collected and the state. That is, one cent was to remain in kthe county where it was collected and | the other cent turned over to the state highway commission This was amended in the house so that all the money went to the state and was
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