The Paducah evening sun., 1910-02-09

farmer would hire his teams 30 the
county for $3.50 per day, Instead of
the usual price of SO per day. at such
same, and when the same would be
idle, that he would be paid at that
rate, the same proposition being
made to laborers in pit, and other
wise to be engaged in the work. The
county was to furnish all implements,
tools and machinery necessary for
the work free of cost to the citizens
In addition, the county was to do
culvert work at its own cost. The
people took hold of the proposition
with a will. They reasoned that they
lost nothing II they hired their team.
out at $3.50 per day when they
would be idle at home; that their
contribution of $3.50, in addition TO
the $3.50 to be paid them. would be
slight when they considered the sub
stantial nature of the road to be pro-
vided them. They argued that they
would be more than compensated in
the raise in valuation of their lands
by reason of the gravel road, II being
reasonably contended that more than
the amount of their contributions
would be repaid in the increased
hauling they could do In the winter
tlnfe. and in the great saving of
wagons as well as labor
1.-THE subscriptions were made as
promised The citizens did as they
agreed as did the county. The re-
suit was grave road more than
nine miles in length, that has proven
great blessing to the people Jf that
community. Today the farmer in
that section can haul three times as
great a load in the winter time as he
could over the dirt road. I,e can do
better. He can do so In one-third
the time formerly consumed. Now,
instead of one trip with a one-third
load, two trips can be made daily
with three times as heavy load The
cost OF the county's part OF the road
was only sS.52S. including bridges.
The repairs necessary during the last
six years have amounted to less than
s10O. For examples sake. suppose
That this had been a dirt road. work
ed year after year at the average cost
of dirt roads Of s25 per mile. This
would have cost the county s225, to
say nothing OF the average repairs
which usually amount to s. per mile
For the seven years that have elapsed
since then the county would have
paid out s1,S70. each year continu-
ing to pay the same sum, with the
road never being completed and peo'
pie of that section being denied tbs
great conveniences which they now
ENJOY"
This Is an interesting Illustration
of what can be done when the peopl.
of a county are awake to the desir
ability OF good roads. The farmers
OF McCracken county who helpec
build the road referred to now real
ize that their contributions were
about the best. and any one of then
who regrets his action is very sci
fish and short-sighted individual. I'm
doubtedly the great majority o
them would not go back to forme'
conditions for several times the cos
Of the aid they extended.
Counties are not always able t'
build good roads. Few OF them ar
equal to the task of wholesale i'm
provement in any comparativel,
short space OF time. The McCrackeI
county case shows, however. tina
there are ways by which any county
may make a modest beginning, NJ
matter what its financial condition
may be. Once a bad road has beer
replaced by a good road it will Oper
ate as an incentive to other i'm
provements. Even one good road i
better than no good roads. and man,
Kentucky counties are lacking II
the one good road.
Bad roads are a source OF contin
ual outlay to a county and In mos
Instances the money spent in theii
repair is wasted. IL costs heavily t'
convert a bad road into good road
but once the change is made there
Is an immense saving in repairs. In
the long run It is cheaper TO build
good roads asd good bridges. Coun'
ties which are neglecting TO do ~
are not alive to their best interests
The way to improve is to improve
and the time TO begin improvements
js now Courier journal.