The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1912-01-17
GOOD ROADS LAW
SEEMS ASSURED
The BoswOrth Bill Seems
Likely to Pass.
A DIGEST OF The MEASURES
Bile Concerning Matter of
Vast Importance TO
the State.
MUCH NEEDED LEGISLATION

Frankfort, Ky, Jan. Ex-senator
Joe F. Bosworth, the author of the
good roads measure in the Legisla-
ture, is very hopeful, in fact conf
dent, that the General Assembly at
the present session will enact a COM
prehensive good roads law. He is
the chairman OF the Senate Commit
tee on Public WAYS and Internal
/ improvements. which will consider
the good roads legislation. Speak
ing of his bills, Senator Bosworth
said
Kentucky has no State road or
lgauization. but there are now peDd=
ing before the Legislature two bills
Of vast Importance to every section
of the State. and all citizens inter
ested in improving the conditions
under which our roads and bridges
are constructed and maintained
should give some attention to them
and lend their influence in every
possible way to have these measures
passed and become operative.
THE pending bills provide for a
State Highway Commissioner OF
Public Roads, who shall be com
petent civil engineer, and will, act
ing under the Department OF Agri-
culture, have charge of the con-
struction Of all roads built under
the provisions Of State aid.
Provisions are made for raising
State road fund to be used in
granting aid to counties that bond
themselves TO build permanent
roads, and also to counties that
spend money not procured from the
sale Of bonds in building or repair
ing permanent roads.
The state aid is for the purpose
OF influencing counties to build
more and better roads by paying
one-third of the cost Of roads from
a general tax levied upon the as
sessed property OF the State. BY
this method counties not expending
money to build roads will receive
no cid from the State, but counties
taking advantage of the State aid
will be assisted to the amount of
One-thrd of the money they eXpend
in constructing or reconstructing
roads. Under this arrangement all
counties pay into the State road
fund, and must build roads or lose
their part Of the State road fund
The whole scheme of State aid is
designed 10 make every county not
having good roads already, get into
the bodybuilding business, and
make all counties now having good
roads put the proper amount of
money into first-class maintenance.
THE office OF County Highway
Engineer is provided for, and mod
ern and systematic methods OF
work are mapped out in
detail The design Of that portion
Of the bill which deals with county
administration seems to be to secure
a better closer and more scientific
method of constructing and main
tanning roads by county authorities
and at tho same time leave the
,ounty administration in the hands
Of the Fiscal Courts as at present.
IN other words, the County Eneir-
FER viii be a person qualified to adj
wise the court on road and bridge
work in an intelligent manner.
"All through these measures are
'aferuGrds 20 State and county
'unds, which demonstrates that the
bills were designed with the one
)urposo in sight, viz. to get value
received in all moneys expended IN
building roads. and also to eXpend
llentif"'l" in the construction 90
good ~cads."