Richmond daily register. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1917-1978, 1922-10-14
JOE BOCGS WRITES
ON GOOD ROADS

Frankfort, Ky, Oct. 14-The
State of Kentucky, needs more
progressive, and energetic road
| organization like the Ky.-Va.
Road Association, for the pur-
pose of arousing public opinion
to the necessity of constructing
the primary system of State
/ Highway Engineer, declared in a
letter to Col. Jim Maret of Lex
. ington, the Boone Highway
Man.
81 have given a good deal Ct
thought to have the best method
of financing the system of roads,
and for some time have lad
the sincere opinion that a bond
issue of $50,UO0,000 to S75,CO0,-
900 is the most feasible plan.
The taxpayers of the state Will
not permit either political party
to increase the State tax rate.
but by capitalizing the present
road fund, which is largely de
rived from the automobile tax
and the sinking fund, the interest
charge Of a S5O,00O,000 bond is
sue can be taken care of-that
is, the proposed system of State
roads can be contructed in five
or six years by the bond issue
plan, without affecting the pres
ent tax rate of the State at ali.
if such is predicated on the Use
OF our present income.
As an election for a bond is
sue will first have to be called
by the legislature before popu-
lar ratification, a good many
large road associations like the
Ky.-Va. can arouse popular op;n-
ion in the fall election of 1925,
as to commit both political par
ties to the plan and to elect a
governor and a legislature, re-
gardleSs of political faith, that
will submit the question to the
electorate. 1t is my firm con-
viction that when this ques ion
is submitted to the people for
vote, with proper educational
campaign behind it, it will carry
by a very handsome majority
and assure the State a system
OF modern roads while most of
the present generation is Sill
alive.
''In my speech at the Wirchc5-
ter meeting, l also called atten-
ton to the mud tax that is
now being paid by the people OF
this State which at a conserva-
tive estimate amounts to not
less than $25,O00,0G0 a year, AMI
if the truth were known, [ ex-
pect amounts to $75,C01,O0O l
have arrived at these figures by
estimating that the 10000 auto
mobiles in the State are 3amag-
ed at least $100 a wear addi-
tionally on account of bad trunk !
line roads, which alone is the
staggering sum Of $l20O0,0O0. |
All other vehicular traffic, the
number Of which is many times
that Of automobiles, can without
doubt be estimated at the same
If IN addition to this you can take |
into consideration the comfort
and welfare OF the average citi-
zens we must add an additional
81 ,CO0,OO0, making a conservative
mud tax" of $25,000,000 a year
that no sheriff collects but WhichI
everyone is compelled to pay if !
he owns an automobile, truck, a !
farm wagon, or any other type
of vehicle.
81 therefore, believe that if
the main trunk line projects OF
the State, each had a live or
ganization behind them to assist
in crystalizing public opinion
and to help educate the average
citizen, they could soon bring
about far better highway coadi-
tons in this State
The Kyva (Kentucky-Nirg n
ia) Road Association was or
ganized at Jackson, on July Il,
1922, adopting the motto "On ToI
Pound Gap" NJ. H. Holl: y OF
Jackson, president, Eula nam
monds of Jackson, secretary and
treasurer, and Jud g ] A.
Smith of Hazard, vice president.
NNNEAIIA RfsI vTFnIl