Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1900-11-16
STATEAID FOR ROADS
PROGRESS OF THE MOVEMENT FOR
IMPROVED HIGHWAYS.
what New Jersey Has Accomplish
sa-Iio,v the Expense l. biNia""'
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Coed Work - Al
vance In ConnecIicut.

More than laif the states nave pas
"a new and progressive road laws, and
many hundreds Of miles Of good roads
Law, already been built under the III
T. -rprc Of the new conditions OF admin
is-saduu. finance and construction
Tie general trend Of legislation enact
cI In these states Is as follows; More .
Ti.Il provisions for carrying out the .
an systems without radical change IN F.
lie systems themselves, more liberal
fax lrvics. substitution OF money tax f.
instead OF labor. local assessment ac- /
corling To benefits, for the construc-
tlgn OF new roads; construction ny
townships. counties and districts, with
power to issue bonds; state hlshWa!
commissions. provisions for working
c5ny.cts. regulations compelling ana
encouraging the use of wide tires. state
aid to road building and construction
Of state roads.
New Jersey was the first state to
take any radical step toward the I'M
movement Of her public highways.
Her state aid law was passed In 1871.
II provides that on petition of the own
ers of two-thirds of the lands bordering
any public road not less than n mile IN
length asking that the road le improV-
ed and agreeing to pay 10 per cent OF
the cost the county officials shall i'm
nroye the road, one-third of the eN-
ppnses to De borne by the state II the
road is brought to the standard liked by
the state commissioner of public roads
and the balance (66 % per cent? by the
comfy. The states expenditures for
such improvements In any one year are
limited 70 $4,000, while the county Is
limited to one-fourth Of | per cent OF
its assessed valuation. At this rate the
law makes possible the expenditure Of
. $4,000 year, and at $1,000 per mile
this builds $50 miles of road. Ten
miles of road were built in 1882, -
! miles in 1898. 60 miles in 1891, ana
/ since 1885 the applications for new
roads have been far in excess Of the
limit prescribed by law.
Under this law about $50 miles Of I'M
proved road have already been built in
New Jersey. the states portion of the
. cynrnSc being about S1ljNJO. The
counties and towns have built out Of
their own treasures 400 more miles,
which brings the total mileage Of I'M
proved roads for the state UP to 300.
These roads cost at first about SG,OoJ
nnr mile. but on account of the reddc-
ton in the price OF materials and the
increase If labor saving machinery the
cost has been reduced to about half
this amount The farmers, who at first
strongly opposed the law, are now
equally enthusiastic for II, and more
roads are being pctitioncd for than car
possibly Toe built in many years out OF
the limited state appropriation. The
system seems to be popular with al,
classes. and ii is being carefully con
siderrd 10y the legislatures of Other
states Its principles have been adopt
ed Ivy Massa husctts, Connecticut
Rhode Island New YOrE and talifor
MIA. These laws If why. tate aid il
the principal feature n rrsa ded by
the active advocates Of road reform n
afrordng satisfactory solution Of th'
problem.
Massachusetts,, like New jersey. a's'
has adopted system of ro" improve
mcnt which it is believed wlh re- Git Il
a few years in securing to that stat
highways that will be second in excel
lenCp to none in the United States an'
z equal to some OF the best in the OLE
1 "a huS u
highway commission consisting o
three persons. Each year this commits
sion is allowed TO spend 100000 70
building and maintaining roads whic
J are called state roads. The law Pre-
/ vid6s that not more than ten miles o
- road can be built in any one county /
a year and that within six years afte
the construction of any state road til
" county in which the road Is situate
Il must pay TO the state one-fourth of tn
;. money expended. Nearly SEQ miles q
, excellent roads have been built in Ma.
sachusetts under this new system, tn
average cost per mile of which wa
: about $4,000
r. Connecticut has made rapid progress
e, in building highways during the las
five years. 1t now has highway con
mission. which was provided in 1895
Il with $450,000 and in 1878 with 500
is GEO for road improvement. In 1895
= the state paid one-third the expense
= constructing the roads. the town on
third and the county the remalnde
but in 1878 the state increased i
part of the expense to one half, the oil
er half being borne by the towns.
Although the Rhode Island commi
= sioncr of highways does not fave
l. state aid as adopted in the adjaceI
It states, the legislature has at his su
Il gestion passed a law which enabl,
, him to build half mile sample of goo
macadamized highway in each tow
he These permanent object lessons are
N great benefit to the towns where goo
j. highways have not been built and a
conducive to more liberal appropri
i tons for new roads as well as mo
re thorough construction when the loc
TT authorities choose to carry the VOL
forward.
% The legislature Of New York passed
bill last year which provides that Il
states share in the Improvement
e. highways shall be 80 per cent of Il
Y. cost. the county's share 80 per ce
+ and the towns share the remaindt
The boards of supervisors are Civ,
) the right to decide what roads, il an
are to be improved, thus making t
matter of road improvement entire
n optional. No new offices were create
" the state engineer being placed
,o charge of all road work. The law seer
to give satisfaction. Several miles