The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1916-03-24

male citizen between the ages Of IS
and so years, not otherwise exempt
subject to road work.
We are not personally concerned
for the professors, neither are we so
concerned for those who take the OPP
posite view, but we are personally
and publically interested in the road
question and have given this ques-
ton some study, our mind is fully
settled on one fact, that by study
only we get deeper and deeper into
the mire, action OF intrinsic value is
what we most need and must have IL
we are to ever get out of the mud.
One fact has been thoroughly de-
veloped. we can't possibly have roads
of any worth under the system which
has been in force for the past age,
the County has too many miles of
road to be maintained by setting
apart a given percentage of the an
nual tax levy, il is a physical impos-
sibility as we see IL, for the reason
that our ability to raise funds, under
the existing statutes is limited to
certain amount, beyond that we may
not go.
Our citizens are as honest l think
as any to be found anywhere, but we
need to be educated to the fact that
we must all make some sort Of sacri-
fee, some supreme effort, II we are
to improve, yes even IL we are to
maintain the roads in medium condi-
ton. One trouble with too many of
us is, that we wrongfully charge
those in authority with wantonly
wasting the appropriation of funds
and with this in mind, when an OPP
portunity presents a chance we go out
for all we can get and give as little
in return as is possible to get by
with, there can be no doubt that this
is to often practiced.
After all is said. IL the people do
not give a few days each year to
road working, and that at the proper
time, there is not much chance for
road Improvement, because We are
absolutely short Of funds by our
method of taxation, by which we may
keep our highways in condition.
We have advocated to some extent,
and have thought the better plan
would be, to place certain districts
under the charge of competent and
honest overseers, give them some %
or 80 miles of road and require road
hands to work from 3 to 5 or days
each year or necessary, then supple
ment this by the expenditure of $751;
900 or $4,000 per year, which We
can easily spare from our annual
levy, on the heavy jobs, then il We
can't maintain the roads by that sort
of system, fail to see how it can be
done.
A road half worked is little better
than IL not worked at all and our
trouble has been that we did not
have sufficiant funds to enable us to
do good and complete jobs, as an at
tempt has usually been made to
cover almost all roads with at least
slight work and as result the funds
spent have been almost lost and the
charge enormously made that the
authorities are squandering the peo-
Piles money. And in sense the
money has been frequently wasted,
because it could not be helped, due
to the fact that the funds petered
out before the mud hole did.
1t strikes US that we need to build
good permanent roads, so that expen-
ditures may cease, for a time at least
then turn our attention to other Sec
lions and keep on this way until we
build a lot of highway really fit to
be travelled the year round, roads that
beft our time and civilization and let
us not forget that this can not be
done except for each of US to make
some personal sacrifice, do some
things which at the time may appear
to be detrimental to our individual
interest and further even than this.
we must have a united and harmon
ious pull II we place the old tar-pole
on good ground and keep her there.