The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-08
To Withhold Message 7M Recess Are Dg
MAINTENANCE OF HIGHWAYS NOW
 FINISHED URGED

AA1 MA " "A \ N wv W
 FINISHED URGED | (Cont1nued From Preceding Page) mileage of state maintained roads is | but natural.
 The Gasoline Tax.
 Because of some dissatisfaction that has existed with the highway commission, generally brought about by the failure of the commission to locate some roads pleasing to others, the state as a whole would be pun ished by the lack of cooperation in | the legi slatu in the strengthening g ! the department where found weak and providing ample funds for main tenance The state highway depart ment is nod a foreign corporation but a child of the legislature, yet barely out of its swaddling clothes, and naturally, needs its parental help.
 Tn determining the disposition of the gasoline tax, the welfare of the man who pays the tax should be paramount, and the best results to be < btained should be carefully studied.
 The question for debate is who can best maintain our roads, the couinties or the state? Since the creation of the state, the counties have been struggling with this prob lem and with not more than a half dozen exceptions have miserably failed. Is there any assurance that we may expect any radical change in their anticipated methods? Is Alabama to ignore the experience of ether states that have for years been f Jafi lon nd maintenance of roads and have de- veIoped plans of maintenance sec ond to no country in the world? To con nstruct roads and fail to provide for adequate maintenance Is little short of criminal. Certainly, we as public servants, entrusted with the expenditure of millions of dollars, are accountable, for the preservation of our highways. It is inconceivable that the legislature will shutdts eyes ito this problem.
 Neglect Of State System.
 There Is one unfortunate feature in connection with a designated state system of roads to be constructed where states have no founds for maintaining portions of the system is the disposition on the part of many county officials to neglect these roads assuming that in a short time the state will have them under con- struction The result is that we have today in many sections of the state, the main travelled highways, fn far worse condition than they were a year ago. Tne highway department should be provided with ample funds to maintain the entire system, which would, Of course, relieve the counties of a great burden. It Is g. great pity that this paramount problem of road construction and maintenance is not given more thought and study by our law makers before legislating on the subject A study of the methods of other states will convince the most skeptical man that there are proven economical methods of construction and maintenance and a definite and satisfactory way of financing such.
 LSw Provisions Cited.
 ITO get back to the original ques- ton of expedfting road construction by providing more funds. The con stitution provides that no bonds shall be issued or sold to such an amount that the interest thereon will exceed the net amount of vehicle license tax collected for the year pre- ceding the issuance of same" The entire revenue derived from vehicle license tax cannot be used for paying
  further provides to create sinking fund for the prompt and faithful pay ment of principal and interest on 1 these bonds and for the construction, maintenance and improvement of such public highways, roads and bridges, the legislature shall levy a
 special annual license or privilege tax on all automobiles, and on all motor driven vehicles which may be used on the public roads and high ways of this state.'
 If the legislature wants speed ing up of road building, then pro vision must be made for additional funds to care for maintenance, relieV- ing He motor vehicle fund to that amount.
 "No mans ambition should stand in the way of a successful program of road construction in our state, It is business problem pure and sim ple and should not be made step | ping stone or football for political office. If you have any dislike Tor anyone connected with the depart ment from the chairman to the humblest employe. I plead with you not to allow such to have any weight in determining your attitude toward ' measures that will effect the depart ment. without your help In provid- l Ing sane and satisfactory laws the roods oP tha state will suffer"