The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1923-10-25

million dollars Of state bonds for road
purposes was before the voters the
Chronicle. along with other proponents
OF the Issue, prophesiCd that II would
only be a matter % few years until q
direct levy to meet the interest on and
create sinking fund for the bonds
could be dispensed with The follow.
Ing statement recently made by State
Treasurer William y. Johnson bears out
the prediction:
,.iIn 1920 the voters ratified an amcuG
ricnt to our state constitution authoriz.
lag the legislature to provide for the u.s.
suance Of $JO.0O0,0GO State Rond Bonds
for the purposes Of constructing sys-
tenn OF state roads connecting every
county seat In the state; $4,000 o,;O of
bonds have been authorized AID 800
100000 sold. The State Road Commits.
sion is proceeding rapidly with this
work. The interest on the bonds al
ready authorized will amount to 81.
$4,000 annually. The law requires
the state TO set aside I'm a sinking fund
each year One-twenty-f of the entire
III
deeming the bonds as they mature.
This redemption fund will amount TO
$1,2U0,O00 annually on this $40, 900 600.
making total yearly payment Of III
terest and redemption charges of ST.
502,CCO for each Of the first five years.
SO far all interest and redemption
charges on all bonds issued have hcen
paid from the revenue received from
the sale Of automobile license tags, etc.
The estimated revenue from this source
for 1923 is S2,700,0O0 1t is estimated
that the &c per gallon tax on gasolcne
authorized by the recent session of the
legislature will amount TO at least 5000.
900 available for 1923 from these two
sources with which to pay all charges
against these bonds.
Il am confident that the revenue re-
ceived from these sources will not ONLY
be sufficient to pay the annual interest
Oh the entire $5O0UO,OOO of bonds When
issued and redeem every bond as it ma
lures, but will also be sufficient to pay
the operating expenses of the State
Road Commission, and that the taxpay.
ers Of the state will not be called upon
TO pay one penny of property tax In CON
nection with the building of our state
road system"
The truth of the matter is that n
state, county, district or other sub-diyi-
sioa can hardly make an Improvement
that does not soon pay for itself and be.
GIN TO pay back dividends. That is any
reasonable improvement such as good
roads, good schools, etc. where expendi-
lures arc safely made.
within the next few weeks the voters
OF Center district will be given an op
portunity 10 vote upon a bond issue for
road Improvement purposes. There IS
little doubt what they will do. They
have had taste of good roads and
want more and they are going to have
lhem' Tut for the benefit of the doubt
ers' Treasurer Johnson's statement is
published so that the benefit of the good
roads may be compared with the direct
cost of the taxpayer.
How many dollars has the fine
smooth, permanent road from Chants
VIE through Arnoldsburg to the Rounc
county line cost the largest individual
taxpayer i'll Calhoun county?
1t Is strange but true that the man
VINO VIII finance his business sensibly
ana carefully, who will buy and sell {.
mouse with acumen and wisdom. who
VIII choose his bank with meticulous
care and guard his personal financial
altalrs with the utmost skill freouentlv
throws caution to the winds when CON
sluering the rising and spending of
money for roads
1t is so pitifully easy to ARRANGE tn
nave someone else pay for a roadi A
oohd issue to run fifty years puts the
burden of paying OH the men and wo-
men who come after us, while we use
the road This is bad enough. as 81
matter of unsound economies but II il
worse when the money so raised IL AZ
uh"lsely expended as to produce q road
which wears out long before the bonds
become due. In such cases. and there
arc many Of them the body poIitl,
mus itsc't In the position of paying for
roads which no longer exist, and faced
with the additional necessity of rebuild
ing the road and maintaining IL. as we'll
as paying the interest and finally the
prl1cipal, on the bonds which built
roads which wore out
There are cases where long form
bonds are justified and necessary. But
there are 10 cases where the expendi-
ture OF such funds is justified for any
thing less than a permanent road. 40
located, 50 built, 80 planned as to length
gradient, width, and location as to make
II or service to the people to come "a
well as those who now use it.
1t has been said that there Is nothing
permanent about any road except it,
location, but this is only true when
maintenance Is an aftcrtbOught. It Is
as unsound to build road and let Il
raycl to pieces as It Is to build house
ana let 1t go Imprinted and uninsured.
Paint the house, insure it, repair It. and
II may stand for n hundred years or
more. Maintain the road as il is used.
and 1t should last indefinitely. Only
such roads should be built with bond is
sue money, and only such road should
be built with money derived from town
or county or state bonds, as will serve
town, county, and state for all time to |
come.
To do otherwise is to betray the trust
~ NMW L.wNa. H.