Richmond daily register. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1917-1978, 1921-11-28
S1O,OO0,0OO A YEAR
NEEDED FOR ROADS
Joe Boggs Outlines Constructive
Program To Keep Building
Highways Going

revenues maintaining the 4UO
miles OF the state highway SyS-
TEN. already accepted and taken
over for maintenance. or revenue
will have To bc provided At the
1922 session of the General As
Scmbly To continue the building
program.
his summarizes COunuilica-
tIOn being sent out to the mem
bcrS-elect OF the General Assem-
bly, by Joe ). BoggS. state high
way engineer, who is enclosing
the recommendations made by
the Good Roads Association and
the plan OF the bond issue. 1t
he funds are provided the pres
cnt generation will be enjoying 4
complete highway system i'll six
Cr seven years. Ii they aren't,
Kentucky will never have a road
system.
y historical sketch OF the dc
partmcnt. since its organization
III 1912. when the commissioner
acted in an advisory capacity
merely. shows that the only per
IN. 1cut accomplishment has been
under the present plan OF organl-
zation. Some 500 miles were
constructed under state aid i'll the
intcrCOuntv seat system: but the
projects were disconnected, aS 4
system ii never got anywhere.
and the counties failed To main
tain the roads when they were
built. In the meantime the state
became obligated to tn" rOun les
to the extent that it will have to
spent a half million annually the
next five wears rc:mburSinS coun
tics for state aid advanced by
them Tor roads, that are alrcady
worn out.
The old intercOunty seat syS-
tenn embraced over 5000 miles
that would have cost hundreds oi
million, to complete The pres
cut system includes less than hall
that mileage. about 400 miles
have been brought up to standard
hy the counties or reconstructed
with state and federal aid. and
are being kept UP by the state.
i he work has progressed with a
definite aim of completing thru
trunk routes. 10 be maintained by
the state. while the counties may
apply their funds To- tributary
roads.
The General Assembly of 1922
realizing the need OF an improv-
cd system oi roads in the state
founded the Department oi
Public Roads with a commission
cr a. its chief head. From 1912
lo 1914 the dutic, aSSi9ncd the
commissioner and his representa-
,icS were purely advisory to cuun
tv officials. no funds having been
appropriated for state road build
ing. and no means granted to
compel adoption of rccommcnda-
lions made to the county. This
time. however. was well spent i'll
educational work. and il ha,
borne fruit and been the cause of
subsequent legislation toward a
state highway system.
The General Assembly OF 1911
declared the intcrcounty scat sys-
TEN OF some 5000 miles to be
proposed state public highways
and created state road fund out
OF the license tax on motor We
hiclcs and a Scent ad valorem
tax. This fund was distributed
to the counties each year III road
construction under the Supervis-
ION Of the commissioner in pro-
portion to their assessed valua
ton. no county receiving mor>
than two per cent of the found
Counties were permitted to an
ticipate their annual aDporti.,n-
mcnt from the state fund. By .ot-
my bond issues, Reimbursement; n;
OF the states share ci the cost &c
he received in future wears IN az
nual installments.
From 1914 to 1910. the maxi
mum amount that the state roaC
fund received each yea did npt
exceed &50.0O0. and as the coun
ties put up an equal amount. thi:
was all the money available 10
construction and reconstruction
OF 5000 miles laid out in 1914
unless county elected to vot'
bonds. Under this law the CouI
ties were required to maintain al
roads built with state aid; bu
there was no penalty for failure
and but little attention was pai'
10 this provision by fiscal courts
The state aid law continued Il
force until July l. 1920.
The several hundreds s.f mic
OF mediocre roads. disconnectc'
f~..f.. .~t.. hal