The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1921-07-29
DENIES STAND On
ROAD BILL Selfish
Garrett Says Commission
Seeks Welfare Of Sta
te's System.

would be breGCn OF ldlIn lONdIu
hundreds of thousands of persons
scattered the length and breadth of
. Kentucky. for tho state Highway
Commission not to support the Rob
sion Federal Aid Bill" HEGreen Gar
rett. chairman of the commission,
said in 4 statement given out here
today, taking cognizance of Albert
f. Terstegg's assertion that the commits
sion is for the continuation OF the
present plan because it wants to
keep the prestige of power"
Tho Kentucky delegation in Con
gress is a unit for the Robson bill,
Senator Richard p Ernst, in a letter,
received by Joe $. Boggs, State High
way Engineer, today, said: 1T is my
intention to support the Bobsion bill
persons in scores Of counties To-
Gated along the Ohio River Road
from Paducah to Louisville; the Mid
land Trail, running east and west
thru the center of the State; the
ton; the jackson Highway, north
and south thru the center. and the
Dixie Bee Line and Central Route
in Western Kentucky, to mention on
ly the most ambitious projects EN-
braced in the adopted Federal aid
scheme, have voted bond issues and
raised money by subscription to meet
the Federal aid.
Further L. y. Aid Awaited.
- "The work is completed in some
counties, under way in others and
awaiting further Federal actions in
others These people put mp their
money with the understanding that
the work was to be prosecuted to
completion, that the roads they were
financing would get somewhere
This commission would be in a
becoming attitude, wouldn't it, if we
should indorse a plan to turn over
20 a national commission authority
to abandon the plan and apply flu
ture Federal appropriations to grand
trunk lines across the continent leav-
ing these Kentucky counties that
have put money into the system with
only broken sections of improved
highway leading to their county lines
with no outlet?
THE Federal aid system agreed on
by the Federal and State highway
authorities, embraces the major trunk
lines of the State highway system
adopted by the General Assembly.
That it is popular is shown by the
way counties in all parts of the State
have been meeting the Federal appro-
priations.
ut is the kind of Federal aid for
a rural State like-Kentucky, its great
est length east and west and its prin-
cipal railroads. and navigable rivers
running north and south, and broken
across by mountain ranges, through
which as yet no railroad has extend
ed.
Would Develop State.
at will develop the country and is
beginning to give outlets from the
remote counties to the markets.
Eventually it will effect the same re-
suit as the Towpsnd measure, the
ends of the projects in each State,
linking UP to projects in adjoining
States.
"But first it will give into state and
local relief, and that is what we are
after primarily,
"NOw, as to who is supporting the
Robson Bill. let me give some facts
about the House of representatives.,
which passed it 266 to n.
Senator, Charles +. Townsend,
sponsor for the Federal Commission
bill, is from Michigan, yet the en-
tire Michigan delegation IN the House
except one, voted for the Robson
Bill
cor the seventyseven adverse votes
on the Robson bill. fifty-eight were
from New York, Massachusetts and
other New England States; seventeen
were Texans, who also were against
the Townsend bill; one was from Ohio
and opposes any Federal aid, and |
doubt If the Townsend bill would
get dozen votes in the House.
1.-The Federal Highway Depart
ment, nearly all the State Highway
Commissions and the American Fed
Grafton of Farm Bureaus are actively
supporting the Robson Bill.
In conclusion let me state that the
Townsend bill would accommodate
about two per cent of the highway