The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1920-05-04
Overwhelming Sentiment
Favors Taking a Vote
By t. w. ADAMS

| Clark, Bourbon, Rowan, Carter and
many others. The official record
shows more miles of improved per-
manent type of road construction
planned in Kentucky for this year
than all the total of that type con-
structed in all the years that have
gone before. Il is only a matter of
months when hard surface road will
lead from Farmers to Ashland. In the
near future the same will be true from
the Montgomery county line TO Win
chester and on to Lexington. Bour-
bon is calling for bids on nine and a
fraction miles from Paris to Little
Rock. 1t does not lie in the mouth
of any citizen of Montgomery to be-
grudge these sister counties the bless
ings these Good Roads will bring
but it does go against the grain to OBJ
serve that they all lead AWAY from
Montgomery County.
The last contract let for road work
in Rowan county calls for the con-
struction Of eight and a fraction
miles of Kentucky Rock Asphalt
Road. Twenty years hence that same
road will be serving the people of
Rowan. On a stretch of Kentucky
Rock Asphalt Road on the way from
Louisville to Camp Knox 1000 We
hieles passed every day for two
years-army trucks, caterpillars.
tractors, with their heavy drags, and
artillery twenty one ton guns. Within
recent time the writer saw this road,
after this wartime test, and found
it in excellent condition. without a
hole, without crack. That's what
Good Roads mean. Taking into con-
sideration the difference in density
of traffic, if Rowan county gets such
a road, a macadam base surfaced
with Kentucky Rock Asphalt, she will
not have to spend a thousand dollars
on it for upkeep for years.
The question is shall Montgomery
county place herself in a position to
influence earlier construction of
some such type of permanent road
than will come if she remains mac
tive while other counties monopolize
the States available funds for the
next few years, and while projects
other than Montgomery county mile
age tie up the available Federal Aid.
Whether she does or does not, she
viii continue to pay her share of the
Federal taxes from which the Fed
eral Aid is created. She will continue
to pay her one cent a gallon tax on
gasoline, her horsepower tax on
motor vehicles, her share of the gem
eral levy, from all of which taxes
the State road fund is created.
The mill will never, etc-and
Montgomery county will never tene-
fit from such part of her taxes paid
this wear as go into building roads
elsewhere.
Ii one saw a clear road to Heaven
it would be at least injudicious to
stipulate that it must be paved with
gold and the blue canopy above stud
ded with diamonds instead of lust
stars.
ANY arrangement the county can
possibly make with the State under
the terms of Section IL of the New
Kentucky Road Law will give Mont
yomerv Better Roads and at Less
Cost than she can possibly maintain
herself during the not definitely |
known period she may have to wait
while a benevolent state government +
S satisfying and complying with the
legitimate claims of counties setting
up the memorable logic that the State
must first help those who help them
selves.
Seeking conferences with and ex-
lreSs'0n from many citizens In diff
erent sections of the county. all of
hem heavy taxpayers. the Advocate
las found an unqualified and over
sentiment in favor of TAX
ng the sense of the people of the
ounty upon this question.
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