The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-02-26
SAYS PROGRAM FOR ROAD WORK
 ONLY { TENTATIVE
Rogers Denies Highway Board Has Fear Of
 Any Litigation
tsTATE CAPITAL BUREAU,

MONTGOMERY, Ala, Feb. 25.--To report received from well informed sources in Montgomery that the state highway commission was withholding publication sf its program of road con- 'struction under the proposed $7,000,- 900 bond issue in order to avoid ligia- tion until after the bonds were sold March IT, John A. Rogers, chairman of the state highway department gave an emphatic denial Monday. Chairman Rogers stated that the program as drawn up now was tentative one and that he did not care to publish detailed expenditures of road funds among the counties until the program had taken more definite shape. The position taken by the highway board chairman was : that he was unwilling to promise any county anything until he was sure that the commission would be able to make good this promise.
 It has been stated in various circles in Montgomery by men supposedly closely in t0tieh with the road situa- tion in Alabama that the reason why the publication of the road build- ing program has been withheld until after the sale of the bonds has been consummated is because it is feared that some county or counties that are left off the program might try to stay the issuance of the bonds with an in junction. Whether such an injunction could be sustained. it was further stated, was of little moment; the mere fact of bringing the matter before the courts might prevent the bond houses from taking up the issue until after the question was settled. Capital, 1t s was pointed '. out, was not seriously timid and any hint of cloud on the title is sufficient to make it withhold its purchase of the securities so af-
 Fear No Suit
 Chairman Rogers was told Monday by an; Age-Herald representative that information had been received by The Age-Herald that this possible ''cloud- ing of title" phase of the bond issue might have had influence in causing the commission to withhold publication of the program under the proposed new bond issue. Mir. Rogers stated emphatically that if any counties should seek such injunctions he had no fear of this possible step, being sure of the validity of the issue.
 The issue of the $7,000,000 worth of bonds, it may be recalled, marks a radical departure in the program hith- erto pursued by the highway depart ment. When the, amendment to the state constitution was adopted permit. ting the state to issue $25,O00, ,00O worth of bonds for highway purposes the plan then was to use funds de. rived from these bonds. for the matching of federal aid. The campaign for the $25, 100000 bond issue of which this proposed issue of $7,000,00O is a part was waged with the understanding of it's supporters that the money so de- rived should be used solely to match the dollars furnished by Uncle Sam for the furtherance of road work in Alabama. Much stress was laid in cam. paign literature that the debt that the voters of Alabama would impose on themselves would be a means of pre-. venting the state from losing its quota of federal aid, which, without the furnishing. of state. funds though tn bdhds issue would fgo elsewhsre. ' Thi proe6eds of the abppds, 1t was sta ted would be under the constant super vision of federal authorities in theii expenditure.
 Public Favors Move
 However, there was nothing in the text of the amendment as finally adopted that provided that the money from the bonds should be used ex clusively for matching federal aid. A the highway program progressed, thess at the helm of affairs began to recog nize that the work was being slowed down by waiting for appropriations from Washington that could be matched The highway immediately sounded out the boards of revenues and other bodies public and quasi-public through out the state and found the sentiment