The record., 1911-01-12
Address Favoring Good Roads
Delivered in Louisville
CARDINAL IDEA IS ADVANCED
Necessary Tax Would Not BE Q
Heavy One, Said Mr.. sommsrs,
AZ Congress Of kentucky
Good Roads Association.


mers has given this subject much
study and Is an authority. His address
In favor OF the good roads movement
was as follows:
1T Is evident that in Kentucky ws
have done those things which va
ought not 10 have done and LEFT un
done those things which We should
have done Between our political
feuds. our blood feuds IN the moun,
tsins and our tobacco fsuds in Central
and Western Kentucky we have re
PEELED both capital and immigration
from our borders.
We have neglected the education
of our children until illiteraey IL q re
proach to the state. We have iefi
comparatively untouched the great
wealth which the Creator stored IN
the bowels OF cur mountains. We
have shipped out our splendid timber
10 be manufactured IN other states. in.
stead Of manufacturing Il at hons
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 Q result OF AL this the census ng
ures show that only three states In
the Union have q omAiler percentage
OF growth than Kentucky. IL II mol
time 10 turn over = 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
opportunity has brought to our door
I'm my humble opinion the frst and
greatest step for the material deselop
ment OF Kentucky was taken last fan
st the good roads meeting when this
congress was called and . committee
appointed to draft a state aid bill for
public highways to be submitted to It
X 10 not my purpose to discuss at this
time In detail the value Of good roads
or the cost OF bad ones. merely wish
to emphasize that bad roads are
heavier tax upon the people than any
reasonable tax which may be levied
70 secure good roads. The bad roads
OF Kentucky cost The people more an.
nually than all the state tar, the state
school tan and the county taxes com,
Ained A government statisticisn has
estimated that the bad roads IN the
| United States cost st1.5o per capita a
year. II they only cost half that much
In Kentucky the people are paying an
nually t1z.o0o.Ooo to pull through the
mud.
BAD Roads \ Perpetual Tax.
"The cost OF bad roads is q 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 Hike
the railroads are great sivllIxsns.
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 LoulsviIle: Mr.. George +
Pickett, OF the Bluegrass. and the
speaker, from Southern Kentucky. II
was framed without regard 70 any par
tieular section OF The state. but upon
the broad plan OF helping every part
OF Kentucky and the commonwealth
as e whole. The committee endeavor
ed 10 make It so plain and simple IN 9
synopsis form that It could be sus
ceptible OF hut one construction. the
one the trainers intended It should
have.
'.Kentucky h a unit. Outside Ia.
state citizen is known only a. Ken
| inckian, whether ne halls from th'
mountains, the Bluegrass or Western
Kentucky. No man can rise 10 dis
tInction in any part OF this common
wealth that the iuster OF his name 4
not shed upon the whole state. N,
great crime cen be committed In th'
| most remote section that the shame o
Il does not fall upon Kentucky. VI
need to give force and. effect TO th'
motto OF our state. United We Stand
Divided We Fan and evsrywhers
from the Biz Sandy 20 the Mississippi
there should De united and concert
5 ed effort 70 put Kentucky where sh,
properly belongs, At the forefront o
the States.
state Aid Not New.
sThe question OF state aid u no ne,
riang. Over sixty millions have bee
T appropriated by the variens states |!
, rhe union to aid IN tho construction o
metal highways. Thirty<wo atate
. are aiding In various ways In the cor
: structlon OF roads. have the last II
port Of the federal highways depar
ment at Washington City. which show
: what the various states are doing 4
r this direction. Maryland has appr'
i priatcd for this year $35o.00o. Mass;
ckusetts 100000. New Jersey hs
{ spent sass. 1856. and has apprcpriste'
e for 1910 $300.o00. In this connection
Il would say that New Jersey \ n
pioneer state in granting aid. and as
result 1t shows double the increase Q
population OF any staie on the Altar
u tic seaboard. New York has apprC
priated s14.0O0.O00. and has set asid
Tor this year $1,000, 600. Pennsylvania
the second state in growth In the cas-
aas appropriated ss.221 900. and 10
the year 1910 100000. Washington
2 which outgrew any OF the Pacln
states. has appropriated s620.0 900 70
Z fhIs year, and 30 on through Ion
ilst n states
"fet me say that no state in tn
= ,nion has made material progress |
road building, except those state
which have Rranfsd dnancial AID. An