The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-11-12
MORE ROAD MONEY SOUGHT.

NUKE hOAD MONEI SOOInl.
 The state highway commission made rather poor start in its campaign for new state road bond issue, when its first act thereafter was to endorse the expenditure ofNsix hundred thousand dol lars on a wooden construction across the Mobile Delta. Such structure, because of the high cost of maintenance, will be continual source of expense, whereas, structure of more permanent nature would easily absorb the additional cost in period of years by the saving in the cost of upkeep.
 The highway commission has generally disappointed the people of Alabama by failure to produce results of permanent nature with the millions already spent. It is true that the commission has in later months been building considerable mileage of permanent paving types, but it is not yet apparent that the commls- sion is irrevocably committed to such con- struction as will stand the wear and tear of increasing traffic. There has been too much consideration given by the com mission to unsystematic experimentation at the public cost, when the results of careful experimentation in other states could have had for far less cost. Nor IS it believed that the commission is served by the best obtainable engineering talent, or, if so, the engineering department keeps singularly quiet when the connis- sion adopts types of inferior sort. In view of all these things the people of Alabama will think seriously and doubt less demand some pledges in advance be- fore voting the additional millions asked for Alabama needs roads, but she doesn't need any more of the type that the commission has been building in some sections. The highway commission of the state is expected to do the things that are beyond the capacity or the province of the county to do, namely, to connect the important towns and cities of the state by paved highways of the most eff cient type.
 It is noted that the cost of the proposed bonds is to be met by tax on gasoline. That is logical source of such revenue and can be defended on the basis of actual saving to the consumers of gaso- line, provided-and this is the important thing-the motor-car owners who pay for the roads get their moneys worth. Inas- much as the owners of motor vehicles are the ones upon whom the proposed high way cost is to be assessed and therefore primarily interested parties, it seems that they should first make it incumbent and obligatory upon the state commission to provide roads that can receive high engi- neering approval and perform that last ing service only highways properly built can give. It is believed that the chair manship of the commission is vested in a man who places lesser considerations above the dependability of the highway types adopted and the statewide service of the routes selected. That also is an issue the people of the state should face, before endorsing the pro- posed program.
 Twenty-Five million dollars plus fed eral funds is not a great sum for Ala bama to spend on her roads. It is far from enough. The people would be justi- fled in granting the additional seventy five millions if there is assurance that they will get their moneys worth. They have not been getting their moneys worth out of the twenty-five millions, and that is a situation the factors in which should be carefully analysed before throwing three times as much more into the same uncertain hopper.
 The state can afford to spend almost any amount of money on efficient state highways, but neither this state nor any other is rich enough to spend millions on inefficient roads. There has been at times lack of enlightenment governing the deliberations and decisions of the commission. Commissioner Scruggs alone has kept to the path of approved high way SoiAS'A "N'AoA' "lCn NoIniulSS1oHeI Suttle vacillating at times, though show ing growing concern for better types, and Chairman Rogers usually seeking to defend the more questionable construc- tion. Before the money is granted the people should first make sure of the ca pacity of those who are to spend it.
 
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