The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1925-12-15
WOULD REDUCE COST
OF UPKEEP OF ROADS
SAVING WOULD MORE THAN
PAY THE INTEREST ON THE
PROPOSED 100000 ISSUE.
GAS TAX WOULD PAY BONDS


pal Roads Would Be Good Bust
ness Proposition. Some Facts Vo-
tiers Would Do Well to Consider.
Some who are under the impression
that the contemplated bond issue for
paving roads in Terrell would add to
the tax burden OF the county would
do we'll to look at the matter from
another angle.
There are 63 miles of roads in Ter
rell county which could be converted
into approved state highways, as fol-
lows: Dawson to the Webster county
line, Is miles; Parrot to the Webster
county line, going toward Preston, ~
miles; Dawson to the Randolph coun-
ty line by way of Graves, 10 miles;
Dawson to the Lee county line by
wav of Brentwood, II miles; Dawson
to the Dougherty county line by
way of Sasser, 121z miles; Dawson to
the Calhoun county line by way OF
Doverel, IA miles; grand total of o.
miles.
According to figures given by the
federal and state highway departments
and the Terrell county superintend-
ent of roads, c. D. Marshall, the aver
age upkeep on dirt roads is $25O.OO
per mile year. Using these figures
as a basis it is now costing Terrell
county $15500 annually to maintain
these 62 miles of dirt roads, which, if
paved, would require little if any ex-
penditure OF county funds.
If the county were to vote a $780,
10000 bond issue and the bonds were
to draw per cent interest the annual
amount to be paid in interest by the
county would only be 100000, or
$500 less than what is being expend-
ed annually to keep up 81 miles OF
dirt road that would be paved if the
people vote favorably upon the bond
issue.
Money Would Be Returned.
In time the 100000 would be paid
back to the county. How is simple
enough. Terrell county is now getting
in state gasoline tax $1,000 annually.
The apportonment of the gas tax is
made on basis of state aid road mile
age in the various counties. Terrell
county now has IS miles of such roads
and receives $1,000 annually. If the
other roads mentioned above were ia
ken into The state system and added to
the IS miles the total state mileage
would be o. instead of IS miles, and
the gas tax received by the county
would be about $12,400. The sinking
fund (amount to be paid annually to
retire the 100000 bond issue) would
be $4,000 a year. 1t is, therefore, ev
ident that the gas tax would take care
of the sinking fund and leave a net
balance for the county OF $2,400. This
amount added to the $4,000 that
would be saved in the upkeep of the
present o. miles of dirt roads shows
that the county would actually save
$1,000 by voting bonds and paving o.
miles of dirt roads.
AS everyone knows o. miles of
roads cannot be paved for 100000.
But under federal and state laws pro-
viding for highway construction the
federal government can and will pay
so per cent and the state government
rs per cent of the cost of paving road
projects that are approved by the two
departments. The q miles it is pro-
posed to pave in Terrell county would
meet all requirements and could be
legally approved by both departments,
and with the county putting up $780,
10000, the state $300,00000 and the
federal government $600,00000 Ter
rell county would have 100000 with
which to pave roads. 1t would cost
81 Ia TO
phalt. and about $4,000 to pave with
concrete If concrete were used the
funds derived from bonds and state
and federal aid would not pave more
than fifty miles, but the county would
be allowed to apply all work done by
its convcts toward its Is per cent,
and this provision in the agreement
would be sufficient to pave all OF the
o. miles contemplated.
A Good Bargain.
Who is there in Terrell county who
would not pay Is per cent OF the pur-
chase price OF a farm, mule, a store,
a bank. or anything he wanted and
needed if someone would give him the
other IS per cent? That is what is be-
ing offered Terrell county, and it will
not do to let the opportunity slip by
without grasping it. 1t will serve ev-
cry man, woman and child in the
county. There is not farmer in the
county who would not have paved
road to travel over when he visited
Parrot, Brentwood, Sasser, Herod
Graves, Dawson and other communi-
ty centers. 1t would directly benefit
all. And with o. miles OF Terrell
county roads paved we would not
have to do much coaxing to get cot
ton mills, knitting mills, hotels and
other big community assets.
With the above facts to consider il
would appear that no man or woman
in Terrell who wants to see the coun-
ty prosper will cast vote against this
great forward movement.