Licking Valley courier. [volume] (West Liberty, Ky.) 19??-current, 1915-02-11

good roads pay. In some coun-'
ties in Indiana the road tax alone
is Sill on each $4,000. These
counties have been building sew
eral hundred miles Of highways
each year until they have practi-
cally improved all their roads.
The assessed value of Morgan
county is within a few hundred
dollars of two and three-quarter
million dollars, and a road tax of
fifty cents on the hundred would
yield $13, 10000 per year.
y IT,
Approximately fifty miles of
road will cross the county in two
directions, and at three thousand
dollars per mile for building
would cost $150,000,00. This
would traverse the county both
ways and give the farmer an outlet
in four directions. This would, of
course, be only the nucleus for
further road building, as when
the farmers and other citizens
realized the value of these roads
there would be others speedily
built, and the county would soon
become a network of we'll con-
structed roads. But to get back
to the figures, the interest on
$3.50, 900, CO., at 5 per cent would
be ST., 10000. The revenue from
a so cent road tax would be $751;
100000, leaving a balance of &c.
$4,000 annually to retire the
bonds. This, in thirty years,
would more than pay off the
bonds. These figures are only
approximate, and are of course,
subject to revision by actual ex-
perts, but they are presumed up
on the theory that the county
pay all expresses. So with the
State and Federal government
paying half the expense, it leaves
a wide mergin to work upon.
We could either issue less bonds,
or better, build more miles of
roads.
There need be no fear as to the
future. That will take care of
itself. In five years after two
cross-county turnpikes were built
the value of property would in
crease fully fifty per cent, and
the revenue consequently jncreas-
J! ed. and more roads c]uld be
built. The increase in the price
of farm products, the saving on
the marketing them, and the
general increase Of prosperity
that would accompany goods
roads would make the taXpaying
a saving to the property owners
instead of a burden. Theincreas-
ed earning capacity of the team
and of the farmer himself would
make the paying Of the road tax
a source of profit rather than of
loss. There would be a direct
! result to the taxpayers that could
; be seen and appreciated. We
can not see the benefits of the
taxes we pay now pay except il
e a vague and general way. Ii
e fact we derive no actual benefi
e from a great portion of THE take
e we pay, because the mlney i
: not expended in a wsE tina
e brings US direct benefit, an,
n much of this is true BECAUSE tn
f lack of good roads keeps 7 fror
If aiding us.
Let's get move on US and g
u at the work Of securing goo
y roads in earnest. Talk it up i
IL your own neighbOrhood. Get u
l. a petition in the locality wher
III I. you live asking that the qhestic
10 be submitted to the peoGIe fl
u their decision. Just talking,
Ill will not accomplish the resul
lie We will have to get into Pctio
to -
Good Roads are Means for Larg
Crops.
x, That an improved road bill i
II crease vastly the produc pene
TO of an area through which rul
u has now been satisfactory der
Dr. onstrated by studies CO. luct
zee by the United States debaitme
he &c N o,,.;cultira in Wiroinio Ca