The Lakeland evening telegram., 1913-12-29
AUBuRNOAlE HEARD
FROM REGARDING
ROAD LOCATION
Auburndale, Fla, Dec. 20, 1918.
Editnr y ok elann Evening Iele

gram. Replying 10 an al.l'io 'A
vorr recent issue from the Winter
Haven Board of Trade in reference
to the proposed change OF the ro"'
of the Tampa to Jacksonville hlsh-
way through Polk county, we pes
beg leave to state that the neWspa-
ner articles on the same subject al
ready sent out from here were
prompted by a thorough knowledge
of the situation and contained noth-
ing but a straight statement OF facts.
In order to make our position plaln
and to acuuaint the county commls-
sioners and the taxpayers with "na'
this proposed change will really
mean to the taxpayers of the county
we beg leave to submit this further
statement of facts.
Because Auburndale happens to De
on the shortest and most practicable
route for this Jacksonville to-Tampa
route as it passes through Polk coun-
ty and because Auburndale is in al
most the exact center of Polk coun-
tvs portion of this road, it appears
to devolve upon the people OF Au-
burndale to place this matter fairly
and squarely before the taxpayers
and the county commissioners of this
county SO that selfish interests may
not blind them to the real issue.
Our insistance upon adherence OF
the road building program as decld-
ed upon originally by our board OF
county commissioners is based not
on selfish motives, but upon desire
to give "the greatest good to the
greatest number" by building a
trunk line which will bring auto
tourists into this county at the least
expense to this countI and to its
taxpayers.
During the past fifteen years the
township in which Auburndale is
situated has paid the county approx
imatelv SlS,750 in taxes and has re-
ceived during that period only ST.,
105 for roGd building purposes. The
Auburndale region makes this state
ment simply to show that it gives
much and asks little and is and al
ways has been for "the greatest soo(
for the greatest number. 7"
We are prepared to prove that
the proposed change in the route Of
Polk county's portion of the Jack
sonville-to-Tampa highway will com
pei the county commissioners tC
build from eleven to twelve miles OF
extra and unnecessary road and vii
cost the taxpayers of the county
many thousands of dollars simply
to cater 10 the special landed inter
ests of the Lucerne Park Florence
Villa-Winter Haven Barlow region.
We beg leave to submit that nt
objection was made to the present
pledged route of the Jacksonvile-to
Tampa highway when the board OF
county commissioners organized in
January of this year and formally
agreed upon a system of trunk line
roads, of which the pledged road
from Lakeland to Haines City via
Auburndale and Lake Alfred, was a
part. 1t was only when the Winter
Haven issue of good bonds failed to
find market that the people of Win
ter Haven and vicinity started a
movement to divert this route-a
movement which is inspired entirely
by selfish motives and a we'll eX-
pressed desire to rule or ruin.
We insist upon and maintain that
the primary purpose of this Polk
county portion of the Jacksonville
to-Tampa highway Ia to give auto
tourists an opportunity to get into
Polk county-something which is
now almost physical impossibility,
but we do not believe the county
should be called upon to build several
unnecessary miles of road in order
to get these tourists here. Moreover,
we do not believe that it is fair to
ask the county commissioners to
make this unnecessary expenditure
of the taxpayers money. T he coun-
ty commissioners laid out the short
est and cheapest route and should
not be disturbed in their program.
Replying to the reference made
by the Winter Haven Board of Trade
to the excessive beauty Of their por-
tion of Polk county, we beg leave
to submit that should future auto
tourists be seeking scenery and an
opportunity to appreciate the beauty
of this highland lake region of Flor
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