The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-10-07
POLK WILL LOSE. AIS 1a9&'
DIXIE HIGHWAY
If BONDS FAIL

In almost every county through
which the Dixie Highway is routed
active work is going on either of ac-
tual construction or in getting ready
for work The situation in this lat
ter case is much like that of our own
Polk county, the report of the super
visors being as follows: 1T is point
ed out that under the present system
only very few miles of GOOD hard
surfaced road a year can be built,
and the supervisors are of the opin-
ion that bond issue will permit of
the more rapid building of new roads
conn ecting various towns through
out the county and without raising
the present rate of taxation
Franklin county. Tenn, won last
week in the fight for good roads,
which has been on since the close
of the war of secession, when an
election authorizing the sale of
$35O.OOO road bonds carried by
nearly 1000 majority
| Hardin county. Kentucky, is ask
ing for bids for construction of that
ortion of the highway passing
through Hardin county
/ The work in Whitfield county,
Georgia. will be completed this
month if weather is favorable.
Operations have been started at
Covington, Ky
Construction is going on in Irwin
county, Georgia, between Perry and
Hawkinsville.
Ware county, Ge2r.ia, has COM
pleted her rcd.
st. clair county. Michigan, will
vote on 100000 bond issue in
November, this action having been
recommended by the board of super
visors to the county commissioners
The county commissioners of our
own Polk county, or majority of
them. at least, have expressed them
selves as being in favor of bonding
the county for something like one
million dollars to construct our main
highways on Just this proposition of
doing so, and paying interest, sink
in fund and making provision for
reasonable maintenance without in
creaSing the present rate of taxa
ton. This can be done in Polk
county just as well as we find ii is
proposed for St. Clair county, Mich
i%an
| 1t is suggested that man can be
ii wise man and yet incur indebted
ness and man who refuses to 90
into debt can nevertheless be guilty
of folly and shortsightedness And
what is true in this regard can be
applied to counties and munici pali-
ties. Polk county can refuse to 20
into d BIT for the purpose of con
strUc.ing roads now and occupy "a
foolish and unique position of being
the only one of her sisters in South
Florida. criticised and scorned as a
back number. because development is
going to be very active in road build
ing in Florida from this time on.
Already $3,700, 900 has been voted
through which the Dixie Highway
is routed, and S2,ll5.O00 additional
in counties through which the Dixie
Iii hwaN will not pass. making a
.rand total .! $5,S65, 900 already
voted on by the people of the State
for the construction of good roads
now In the face of this general
action who shall say that Polk coun-
ty will be wise to refuse to join in
the movement? II is generally con
coded that it is impossible To have
that portion OF the Dixie Highway
constructed according to the pledge
required by the Dixie Iii hway AS
sociatinn without borrowing the
money. and will the rest of the coun-
y of the Dixie Highway vote Ia
borrow for this purpose without hay
ING good road. in their district? Fin
ally. can Polk count afford to lose
the pixie Highway and viii the p o.
pie of the county allow the oppor-
'nnity to 20 by?
A. j. HOLWORTiiY,
Secretary POLK County Good Roads
AsSo iatiun