The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1915-12-16

Frankfort Kentucky was one OF
the first states In the union to estab'
lish state aid for road construction.
As early as 1910 the General Assembly
OF Kentucky provided for the open.
ing OF roads to the Virginia line and
began the construction OF maeadam-
lied roads In 1920
Prior to 1910. Kentucky had spent
more than 100000 In the construc-
ton OF macadamized roads which
were built on rights OF way sixty feet
wide. These roads we're located on
light grades and easy curves. and
were graded twenty.four to thirty feet
between bitches. Telford foundations
between sixteen and twenty.four feet
were used with a good macadam sur
face. This work was under the super
vision OF a state engineering depart.
ment consisting OF state highway
engineer, at a salary OF $4,000 per
year with a corps OF assistants at
salaries ranging from 81 100 TO $4,000
per annum. Many OF these roads are
yet In a splendid state OF preservation.
and are rendering substantial service
TO the communities through which
they pass.
However. the policy OF internal i'm
proyement was discontinued prior to
1850. owing TO the financial condition
OF the treasury. and change in POI
litcal parties. and Il was not until
1905 that any attempt was made to re-
Vive a state system Of highways
In 1905 the General Assembly of
Kentucky passed constitutional
amendment permitting the state to
lend lis credit 10 the counties for road
building, and to provide for the con
struction and maintenance OF public
highways.
a highway department was estab-
ilshed to consist OF the Commissioner
OF Public Roads and such assistants
as the Governor might deem advisa-
bic. with an appropriation OF not to
exceed $4,000 per annum from the
automobile license tax which had been
sccruing from 1910 as a state road
/ fund.
The department was organized and
Robert e.. Terrell WAS appointed the
| first commissioner The duties Of the
department we're purely advisory. and
while iho counties we're required 10
request plans. specifications and esti.
mates OF cost for the road and bridge
work, which exceeded $500 in cost.
they were not compelled TO use he
plans and specIngat ous thus prepared.
II was not until after the state aid
law passed. ly the General Assembly
OF 1914 became operative that the
state vas really In position to lend
material aid 90 the counties. Although
a great deal was accomplished by the
commissioner and his assistants prior
TO 1910. II was only. as stated above,
advisory. which In many instances II
was hard TO get the county officials
20 take advantage OF the engineering
assistance offered, hut in 1914 the gen.
eral assembly passed law levying a
fve-cent tax on each 500 worth OF tax
able property In the state OF Kentucky.
The law further provided that the
money should be distributed to the
counties based upon the amount OF
money levied and collected in each
county for roadbuilding. and that no
county should receive In any one year
more than two per cent OF the total
road fund The department imme-
diately set to work in the spring OF
1915 to secure the cooperation OF the
counties in building a system OF roads
as laid out in the bill passed by the
General Assembly. which provided
that the roads should connect up the
county seat OF each county OF the Com.
monwealth with the county seats OF
the adjoining counties by the most
direct and practical route. and the
county seats OF border counties with
the state line on the most direct and
practical routes leading from said
county seats 10 the county seats OF
the adjoining counties in the adjacent
states.