The chronicle-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1920-1941, 1941-08-01
FACTS AND FIGURES On
SO CALLED PASCAG0ULA
TOLL BRIDGE RACKET
Correspondence Between Harold Gautier and Governor
Johnson Reveals Situation In Its
True Light.
. Do9rfrseH Paul b johnson.
jackson Mississippi
Dear Governor

AOkAL ASKED By DEEENoE
UNIT. together wnh your corn
meugk on our toll bridge a. quoted
b. u1e paper extracts 0f which
article appear Ia AL Of todAys
daiIles an tmpelled 20 write you
this letter giving YOU some pertinent
facts IN connection with The matter
that has been the subject OF too
much balIyaoo IL the newspapers
from Spanish Tran Association Of
fIcizls Secretaries OF Chambers Of
Commerce and Ike parasites. who
dom know The facts and don't want
70 knoN the facts because such
knowledge would prevent their fur
thering \ program Of unfair and
unjust publicity.
I realize that sou are pestered
with complaints about the jackson
County ToII Bridge and ! am Just
AZ certain that no complainant has
seen fit to appTaise you of the true
facts and circumstances l also feel
confident that you look upon me a.
your friend. both personal and POI
lticAl and. because OF our mutual
friendship. would not be adverse 70
receiving from me both facts and
comments on this toll bridge matter.
jackson County. Mississippi. may
be considered one Of the States
poor counties. yet Its citizenship
have erdeavored % be progressive
and have purdened themselves with
an unusually heavy tax load 70 at
tain such ends Some years back.
when the majority Of our counties.
including the rich county TO our
west. we're dragging through mud.
sand or clay. according to their res
pective soils. We built an IS foot
concrete road along the route Of
q. S. Highway 30 from the Alabama
line to the Harrison County line.
We received AID from the Federal
Government on the construction Of
this road. and PAID 70 the State
Highway Department 10 percent of
the cost Of construction for super
yising It's construction. Prior 70 the
construction Of that road, our We
hicles. as well as those OF tourists.
would bog through In wet weather
70 river and then spend an hour
ana some $500 to be ferried seven
miles around 70 the bank on the
other side.
The County then determined that
the two rivers. East PascagouIa and
West Pascagoula and the three
miles Of marsh between them should
be bridged 70 accommodate increasing
traffic.
We appealed TO the State and the
State Highway Department said
such bridging and fills were imprae-
tical and too costly.
We appealed TO the Federal Gov
eminent and the Federal Bureau Of
Roads turned the proposition down
as being impractical and impossible.
jackson County determined TO and
proceeded to build bridges over both
rivers and six bridges over the
bayous between the rivers and TO
build a fill throughout the marsh
land, and received neither Govern
ment aid nor State aid for such
construction. but placed a bond is
sue Of 3275 10000 on its citizens.
Since the construction OF the origi-
nal bridges and fills. the replacing
Of bridges and the paving OF the fill
has cos the County $50. 900 90. and
the operation and maintenance Of
the bridges and fills costs the Coun-
ty approximately $40. 10000 per year.
Jackson County also. by bonding
the property Of its citizens, built a
seawall and constructed a three-lane
concrete highway along its beach
front In front Of the City Of Pasca-
goula and the Town OF Ocean
Springs.
The total cost to our County for
the above named improvements, ev1-
denclng progress. was 81. B56. 600 90.
The great hurricanes OF 1906 and
1916 washed out the L s. N Railroad
FIJI between the TWO Pascagoula
Rivers. ana when the next such
hurricane strikes US. It viii DO like
wise and also the three mile FIJI Of
y. s Highway 90. and Jackson
County VIII make provision TO re-
store It 50 that tourists. as well As
the local people. can resume travel
ing this route.
The County placed a toll on the
P~ascagoula Bridge. which bridge be-
longs 70 the County, and which
County IS within its legal rights. as
well as It's moral rights to relieve its
burdend taxpayers from sdvalorem
taxes to pay for these benefits to the
public a. large. and 20 permit them.
as wei as al users Of the bridge. 70
assist IN paying for the above in
proYements. as they use them. No
one can charge that the tolls are ez-
ceSSlve 4 passenger "a pays SOC
for each crossing. unless the ouuar
Of the car makes frequent crossings.
N which event ne may buy a ticket
book and pay l1lc for each cross
ing
On various occasions non-resI-
dents Of the STATE have come into
my Office and have complained BIT
terly about being ni-jacked out o.
soc % cross 3 bridge After an ex=
PLANTATION 70 the party complaining
Il the facts and Of the Judicial and
beneficial expenditures Of the
money derived from the tolls ii
every instance the complaining
party n0t only left my offiee eel
satisfied for the privilege o. making
ne contribution. Bat left conaYata-
latlne he County 0 the Roos uaark
. was aoing 9Th the aid Of that
tol bridge
FU sozr Information the bondz
issued e construct The bridges oser
ne three nile stretch have been
PAID.
For YoH further information
Governor. uat 90 might properly
answer criticism and critics q IA.
toA bridge ne monies derived frosr
Ne collection q tolls have bazn
Continued q paSe uine3