Crittenden record-press. [volume] (Marion, Ky.) 1909-191?, 1911-02-02


"a seaboard. New York has appro.
priated $14.0O0.0OO, and has set aside
for this year s2,50O,000. Pennsylvania,
the second state In growth In the east,
has appropriated $S,22i 600. and for
the year 1910 100000. Washington,
which outgrew any of tho Pacific
states, has appropriated 100000 for
this year. and so on through long
list OF states.
LET me say that no state In the
union he's 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 absolitc nscossisY - socure
good roads We will never have them
In Kentucky without H. IL nicuns. II
the first place. thai IN roads viii
DO properly built. This has not been
the csse III Kentucky save with rare
exceptions. II will not only stop the
waste from incompetency, but II will
also stop the graft which has been
h5nted AZ as existing In some counties.
''kertncky. of all states in the union.
should provide state aid, for the rea-
son that no state has such great
difference In the wealth and poverty
ot our people. We have one county
whose assessable wealth is over $780,.
COO 600. and dozen where the as
cessment Ia less than .s1.000.00o The
principle Of state aid has been recog-
nized In Kentucky throughout its en-
tire history. Our public school system
rests upon II and without it 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 is so embodied
in our laws that the state Is the unit
that Il is almost fundamental.
Compared With School Tax.
IT do not believe that there Is an
intelligent man within the sound Of
my voice who would openly oppose the
state school tax of 22Is cents on the
500 because his county paid into the
state treasury more than It 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. Why,
Because II is recognized as an abso-
lutte necessity for the rich counties
OF Kentucky 20 help to educate the
children Of the poor counties In order
10 maintain our public schol system.
Nearly half the counties in Kentucky
are as helpless to 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 to other states no one
can object 10 II In Kentucky except
upon the most selfish motives of pay
ing In a little more into the state
treasury than they can draw out, and
I 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 8 cents
on the 800 from selishness 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 q
section that has been overlooked by
many. II Is the section which pro
vides that no county shall receive any
year more than per cent OF the state
fund. This state fund will be ap
pre- ximately 100000. and per cent OF
II will be $4,000 Any county receiv
ing this maximum amount will be
drawing out Of the state treasury more
than il pays in unless the assessed
valuation Of the county is s2O,OOo.0ot
CT more. In Kentucky We have less
than ten counties where the property
is valued at s2O.0o0.O0o or more, and
these would be the only ones which
would of necessity contribute more tt
the road fund than they could draw
from IL. All OF these rich counties
have large cities in them. These cite.
have been built up by the country. and
It is nothing more than right and just
that in turn they should help to built
up the country. for the reason that In
in the end they would become bene
ficiaries.
ALLOW me to refer to our public
school system again. Under the pro