The Big Sandy news., 1911-01-13

state school tax OF 22is cents ON the
500 because his county paid into the
state treasury more than II drew out.
No man has ever advocated the repeal
Of that law. Any candidate for the les.
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 Il paid in would
hc overwhelmingly defeated Why
Because It is recognized as an abso,
lutte necessity for the rich counties
Of Kentucky TO help 10 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 rs they would be 10
maintain public schools wi.hoNt state
aid Realizing the value which state
aid has been to other states no one
can object 10 Il in kentucky except
upon the nest selfish motives ef nay
ing In a little more into the state
treasury than they can draw out, and
! do not believe that Kentucky Is 90
ing TO be governed by that narrow
spirit Those few pCople Who are CRY,
ing out against the small tax Of ) cents
on the 800 from selfshness are cry
ing out before even their pockethooks
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 erd 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 a 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
section that has been overlooked by
many. It IS the section which pro
vldes that no county shall receive any
year more than per cent Of the state
fund. This state fund viii be ap.
prcximetely $500 900, and 2 per cent Of
Il will be $4,000 ANY county rcceiv.
ing this maximum amount win be
drawing out Of the state treasury more
than Il pays IN unless the assessed
valuation Of the county Is 100000 ora
or more. In Kentucky We have less
than ten counties whore the proportS
is valued at S10,000,00o Or more, and
these would be the only ones which
would Of necessity contribute more 70.
the road fund than they could draw
from IL. All OF these rich counties
have large cities in them. These cities
have been built up by the country, and
1t Is nothing more than right and just
that In turn they should help to builG
up the country, for the reason that In
In the end they would become bene,
iciaries.
ALLOW me to refer 20 our public
school system again. Under the pro,
visions Of the law a tax OF 22ls cents
is levied on all the property Of :ho
state and paid into the state treasury.
Il is dlsbursed according to the num.
| her Of children IN each county, and the
county does not have TO raise a single
cent to get the benefit Of this fund.
The state aid to roads is on much
falrer proposition than this. 1t pro.
yides that not dollar Of the state
money shall go to any county which
does not cover It with either 81 or 3
\ OF It's own money. to be used IN the
construction Of the roads according
TO its ability 10 pay In other words,
II the state puts up 100000 a year to
aid In road building, the counties will
have to put up from $500 900 to $1,000
600 This means that in ten years
there will ne from 10000 to l2,oo0
miles Of good roads built In Kentucky
according to the direction Of com.
petent civil engineer aud after the
mcst approved methods Of road bNild.
ing. This will do more to develop
Kentucky and to enrich It than the
same amount Of money spent IN any
) other way