The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1911-01-19
HICKMAN THURSDAY JANUARY 49, 1911


ment at Washington City. which shows
what the various states are doing I'm
this direction. Maryland has appre
priated for this year $4,000. Massa-
chusetts 100000. New Jersey has
spent s2,s59.735, and has appropriated
for 1910 100000. In this connection
would say that New Jersey Ia the
Ioneer state in granting aid. and az a
result II shows double the increase OF
population Of any state on the Allan
Tic soabOard. New York has appro-
priatcd sl4.0O00O and has set aside
for this year $4,000, 900. Pennsylvania,
the second state In growth Ina the east.
has appropriated 1927 900. and for
the year 1910 100000. Washington.
which outgrew any OF the Pacific
states, has appropriated s620.09O for
this year. and so on through long
list OF states.
Let me say that no state in the
union has made material progress in
road building. except those states
which have granted financial aid, and
that every state which has granted
aid has made material progress State
aid is an absolute necessity 10 secure
good roads. We Will never have them
In Kentucky without IL. II means m
the first place. that the roads win
be properly built. This has not been
the case In Kentucky save with rare
exceptions. Il Will not only stop tho
waste from incompetency. but II will
also stop the graft which has been
limited NJ as existing In some counties
Kentucky. Of all states In the union.
should provide state aid. for the rea-
son that no state has such a great
difference in the wealth and poverty
OF our people. We have one county
whose assessable wealth II over $780,
COO 600. and dozen where the as
sessment is less than 1000 900 The
principle Of state aid has been recog-
nized In Kentucky throughout its en-.
tire history. Our public school system
tests upon II and without Il half the
counties could not maintain public
schools The state, instead of the
counties. under our laws pays all the
jury claims. witness claims. pauper
idiot claims. circuit judges and com
monwealth attorneys salaries and
many other things II n 50 embodied
In our laws that the state IL the unit
that II is almost fundamental.
Compared With School Tax.
Il do not believe that there is an
Intelligent man within the sound OF
my voice who would openly oppose tho
state school tax OF 22ih cents on the
800 because his county paid into the
state treasury more than Il drew out.
No man has ever advocated the repeal
OF that law. Any candidate for the LEG.
islature who would make the race
upon the platform Of the repeal of the
school tax because HIS county did not
get back as much as II paid in would
be overwhelmingly defeated. Whyl
Because Il IL recognized as an abso-
lutte necessity for the rich counties
OF Kentucky 20 help 10 educate the
children OF the poor counties in order
20 maintain our public schol system.
Nearly half the counties In Kentucky
are as helpless 10 build good roads
without state aid as they would be to
maintain public schools without state
aid Realizing the value which state
aid has been 10 other states no one
can object 20 II in Kentucky except
upon the most selfish motives of pay
ing IN little more into the state
treasury than they can draw out. and
! do not believe that Kentucky is go
ing TO be governed by that narrow
spirit. Those few people who are cry
ing out against the small tax OF cents
on the 800 from selhshness are cry
ing out before even their pocketbooks
are hurt. We believe that the state
supervision In the construction of
roads would save in the rich counties
more than the tax they pay. that in
the end the increased prosperity OF
the pauper counties by the building
Of good roads would soon take many
Of them out OF the pauper list, and
that In ten years the state would be
paid back large interest on the
money invested in roads by an In
creased valuation OF property.
Two Per Cent Provision.
There Is a section OF the synopsis
OF the bill TO be discussed which is a
section that has been overlooked by
many. II Is the section which pro
vides that no county shall receive any
year more than 2 per cent OF the state
fund. This state fund will be ap-
nroximately $500 900 and 2 per cent OF
Il will be $4,000 Any county receive
ing this maximum amount will be
drawing out OF the state treasury moro
than II pays in unless the assessed
valuation OF the county is S20,OOO.Ooo !
CT more. In Kentucky we have less
than ten counties where the property
is valued at $2O.O0O,0O0 or more, and
these would be the only ones which
would Of necessity contribute more to