The Adair County news., 1921-02-23
BOND ISSUE IS
NOT NECESSARY
GOOD ROADS PROGRAM HAS NOT
FALLEN DOWN SAYS STATE =
= ASSOCIATION.
MeBYRDE GIVES FIGURES
Kentucky Compares FaVorabIy With
Other States in Record of construc-
tion and Prospects For Ample Funds
to Continue For Next Ten Years.

Louisville, Ky.-The Kentucky Good
Roads Association was the first organi-
cation in the State to concentrate it's
efforts on the creation of State High
way Department and the building of a
Statewide system Of highways. 1t has
seen the movement for good roads in
Kentucky grow from a few voices cry
ing in the wilderness into as good a
system of highway administration as is
enjoyed by any of the States.
Naturally, together with all other
Kentuckians, its membership has been
much concerned, recently by the repeat
ed reports made TO the public and the
press that the whole system is 'going
to pot" for lack of funds and that
the only thing that will save it will
be an extra session of the Legislature
to submit TO a vote of the people a
bond issue estimated at anywhere from
$25,00O,0O0 to $6O,OOO,O00.
Investigation made by Robert ]. Nc
Bryde, President of the Good Roads
Association, has disclosed the fact that
not only is Kentucky not in need of
a bond issue to build roads, but that
it now has more money for this pur-
pose and is building more roads and
better roads than ever before in its his
tory. If the present pace can be main
tanned, Kentucky's entire system of
highways will be completed within the
next ten years.
Actual conditions as taken from the
official record are as follows:
Total State Aid Road Fund
now available for road
construction ........ 50, ,100, 10000
Total Federal Road Fund
now available for road
construction ......... 3,02S, PSI 81
County appropriations
made but not yet under
contract .'............. Z,SSo,UOI.UU
Total available road
fund ................$S IS, 126,264.3 81
The State Highway Department dur,
ing 1920 has had under contract total
Of 64991 miles of Federal and State
Aid Roads at a total cost of $7,6S7,-
567.2S OF this mileage 347.S have
been completed.
In addition, the State Highway De
partment has co-Operated with the
counties in the maintenance of 104.91
miles of state highways built under the
provisions of the former State Aid
Maintenance Law.
At the beginning of the year 1927
the State Highways Department has
completed surveys and plans and is
ready to advertise for bids on 1871
miles of Federal and State Aid Roads
Surveys have been made and plans
partially completed for an additional
1909 miles of such roads. and surveys
have been completed on another 234.5
miles.
There has been favorably reported
by the Roads Committee of both the
United States House of Representa-
tiyes and the United States Senate a
bill increasing by $780, 100000 per year
the Federal appropriation for roads.
IF this bill becomes law, Kentucky's
Federal Aid quota will be increased
S2,000000 annually. The amount pro-
duced by general and special state
taxes will of necessity increase each
year.
Kentucky in the past year has had
$S,000,OO0 to spend for roads, and there
is every reason TO believe that within
the next three years Kentucky's an
nual road-fund will be not less than
S10,OO00O0.
For the first time in its history Ken
lucky not only has a completely
equipped State Highway Department.
but all of the money that is needed to
administer it successfully.