The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1911-01-11
HARRY A. SOMMERS
ON GOOD ROADS
Address Favoring Good Roads
Delivered in Louisville
CARDINAL IDEA IS ADVANCED
Necessary Tax Would Not Be a
Heavy One, Said MIR. sommers,
At Congress of Kentucky
Good Roads Association.


One of the principal addresses at
the congress of the Kentucky Good
Roads association, held in Louisville
last week, was made by Harry A. Son.
mers, of Elizabethtown. Ky. Mr. Som
mers has given this subject much
study and is an authority. His address
in favor of the good roads movement
was as follows:
at Is evident that in Kentucky we
have done those things which we
ought not to have done and left I'M
done those things which we should
have done. Between our political
feuds, our blood feuds in the noun
tains and our tobacco feuds in Central
and Western Kentucky We have re-
PEELED both capital and immigration
from our borders.
1--WE have neglected the education
of our children until illteracy is a re-
proach to the state. We have left
comparatively untouched the great
wealth which the Creator stored in
the bowels of our mountains. We
have shipped out our splendid timber
to be manufactured in other states, in
stead of manufacturing it at home.
We have legislated against the rail
roads, those great pioneers of prog
ress and development, instead of en-
couraging them to extend their lines.
AS a result of all this the census fig
ures show that only three states in
the Union have a smaller percentage
of growth than Kentucky. Is it not
time to turn over a new leaf just be-
fore the New Year and use to the full.
est extent the great advantages which
nature has laid at our feet and which
s opportunity has brought to our door
''In my humble opinion the first and
greatest step for the material develop
ment of Kentucky was taken last fall
at the good roads meeting when this
congress was called and a committee
appointed to draft a state aid bill for
public highways to be submitted to it.
1t is not my purpose to discuss at this
or the cost of bad ones. | merely wish
to emphasize that bad roads are a
heavier tax upon the people than any
reasonable tax which may be levied
to secure good roads. The bad roads
of Kentucky cost the people more an
nually than all the state tax, the state
school tax and the county taxes com
bined. A government statistician has
estimated that the bad roads in the
United States cost $3.50 per capita
year. II they only cost half that much
in Kentucky the people are paying an
nnclly $12,000,000 to pull through the
mud.
Bad Roads a Perpetual Tax.
"The cost of bad roads is perpet.
ual tax which can only be stopped by
the building of good roads. Good
roads not only stop the tax of bad
roads, but they increase the value of
the land more than the roads cost.
They are great moral factors and like
the railroads are great civilizers.
''The measure framed for your con-
sideration was drafted by committee
consisting of Senator Joe s. Bosworth,
OF the mountains; Judge James p.
Gregory, of Louisville; Mr.. George f.
Pickett, of the Bluegrass, and the
speaker from Southern Kentucky. II
was framed without regard to any par.
ticular section of the state, but upon
the broad plan of helping every part
OF Kentucky and the commonwealth
as a whole. The committee endeavor
ed to make It so plain and simple IN a
synopsis form that 1t could be sus-
ceptible OF but one construction, the
one the trainers intended 1t should
have.
j kentucky Is a unit. Outside the
state citizen is known only as Ken
tuckian, whether he halls from the
mountains, the Bluegrass or Western
Kentucky. No man can rise to dis
tinction in any part Of this common
wealth that the luster of his name Is
not shed upon the whole state. No
great crime can be committed in the
most remote section that the shame of
It does not fall upon Kentucky. We
need TO give force and effect to the
motto OF our state. United We Stand,
Divided We Fall and everywhere,
from the Big Sandy to the Mississippi,
there should be united and concert
ed effort to put Kentucky where she
properly belongs, at the forefront of
the States.
State Aid Not New.
The question of state aid is no new