Licking Valley courier. [volume] (West Liberty, Ky.) 19??-current, 1917-07-19
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F: By the Editor.
Benefits Of State Aid for Road
Building.

At the time of the passage of
the Act to create and establish a
system of public state roads and
levy a state road tax of five cents
on every one hundred dollars
valuation to provide for the con-
struction thereof, considerable
opposition developed in many
of the counties regarding the
provisions of the Act. Some re-
sented what they were pleased
to call outside interference with
the internal affairs of the county.
Others could see no benefit &C.
cruing to them from the State
Tax collected in each county, re-
turned to each county and ex.
pended by the County Officials.
: The operation of the State Aid
Law for over two years has serv-
ed to change public opinion to a
large extent and to bring about
a more general understanding
and appreciation of the State Aid
Law and the State Department.
For the benefit of those who are
still not familiar with it's provis-
ions and for the information of
certain politicians who are en-
deavoring to seek aggrandize-
ment regarding it's operation, a
few pertinent facts are here
given.
The State Aid Law was design
ed primarily to aid the poorer
counties in the State in securing
roads.
The state aid fund is apportion-
ed to the counties in the ratio the
amount of taxes levied and col
lected in the entire state for
roads and bridges, provided,
however, that no one county shall
receive in any one year more than
two per cent of the State ROAD
Fund. The limitation of the two
per cent appcrtionment makes
possible the assistance to poorer
counties. For example, Jeffer
son County pays approximately
twenty-five per cent of the tota
State Road Fund and is appor
toned not over two per cent
The other twenty-three per cen
is apportioned to the poore,
counties.
The maximum apportionment
to any one county for the year
1915-16-17 ranged from $14, $50. Oh
to $13, $4,000 so that unless
county has an assessed valuation
of over twenty-five million dol
lars it receives from the Stat
! Aid Fund more money than i
: paid into the State Fund by rea
son of the five cent tax. AS
matter of fact only four countie
in the state fail to receive NOR
from the State Aid Fund than
t paid in. The other one hundre
Y and sixteen counties can receiv
more than paid in if applied foi
, Counties with an assessed valua
ton around two and one-hal
million receive approximate
three times the amount paid in
e The advantages of a Highwa
Department in administering thi
{ fund and furnishing qualified an
E experienced Engineers is too we
recognized to be even debatablt
1t is significant to note tia
) whatever opposition exists to tn
| State Aid Law at present is ell
Y countered in the POORER countie
that receive the greater benefits
, There is not found a discordar
note from the large centers {
wealth to help their less fortl
nate neighbors. 1t is of turtle
E interest to note that the richie
2 counties are enthusiastic in the
0 efforts to cooperate with the Stat
4 Department and secure more an
h better roads for Kentucky.
Destroy Filth and You Won't
Have to Swat.