The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1913-10-30
HIGHWAY
IMPROVEMENT
TAXPAYERS URGE GOOD ROADS
Representatives Of Both Town and
Country Vote In Favor Of Tax
to Create Q state Fund.

There never has been in the past
20 much discontent over the discom
fort Of travelling over mud roads 90
there 10 at the present time While II
II we'll known that the making Of hard
roads In communities where there 10
no hard material must involve an
enormous expense, yet more and more
taxpayers are expressing q willing
ness to b taxed for permanent roads.
This was plainly indicated at . road
conference held In Des Moines. L..
where 200 delegates composed OF
typical representatives Of both town
and country voted unanimously In
favor of q one.mill tar TO create .
state aid fund. says the Iowa Home
steader. In the past the best that
Iowa has been able to do along this
line has been to support . non-salaried
highway commission with but little
power and with practically no money
to work with.
This same conference endorsed al
most unanimously the establishment
Of . permanent highway commission
With ample power. In addition . rec
ommendation was made to the legtsla-
tire to submit the question Of bond
ing the state for good roads purposes
to the people at the next general cleo
ton.
We appreciate the fact that this
program 10 not endorsed BY all the
people and II 10 just possible that at
the present time II may not meet with
tho endorsement Of even . majority.
but the rapidly changing feeling indi-
Gates that the time will soon come
when all states of the corn belt will
undertake the construction Of per.
msnent roads. This being the case the
question Of administration In the In
portant one to beside. In this matter
which may be safely followed and
these precedents in every case tend
In . greater or less degree to centralt
sation. In other words. wherever good
roads have been economically built In
this country they have been built
under the general supervision Of the
state under . plan Of coordination
With the county and with the town
ship. No plan will every work out
practically in the corn belt that does
not in Q large way leave with the 10
cality the authority to say when they
are willing to bear the expense Of
good roads. when II 10 decided to In
cur the expense Of building per
manent roads the township. county and
state will - units nnd themselves
compelled through the operation Of .
sound business principle to adopt
plans and specifications prepared BY
the best available talent, whether this
be furnished by the nation or by the
state
The most urgent need at the pres
emit time In all states Of the corn belt
10 the classification of highways in or
der that the question for all time may
be settled as to what constitutes main
roads and which are the secondary
Highways. This recommendation was
made to the legislature at the Iowa
road conference referred to. When
this plan is once carried out We will
then know definitely the order In
which our roads should be permanent
iy improved. II 10 q well-known fact
that 80 per cent. of the rural trance 10
carried ON over 10 per cent. Of the
highways and certainly the first move
should be to improve this ten per cent
In the meantime we are strongly In
favor of keeping the secondary roads
in the best possible condition by the
construction of suitable culverts
wherever they are needed and by the
sensible and compulsory use Of the
drag. There will always be large and
important township and county duties
SO that no man need have fear that
the adoption of permenent road ad
ministration will in any way interfere
with the principle Of local govern
mani