The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1903-02-27

upon the TOWN. 10 prOVlue one tniru Vi
the maximum amount that could be
enjoyed by any town, the sum being
$3, 900 in any one year, and that the
county should contribute one-third of
the amount expended by the state and
town The state was to contribute also
one third of the expense of the construc-
ton in any one town up to the amount
allowed by law, or apportioned by the
commissioner.
A mathematical calculation arranged
on the basis of 1853 town, that being the
number of towns we have in our state,
provided they all came in to accept state
aid, multiplied by 5000, the maximum
amount, would at once show from the
result that if the entire state came in it
would be impossible to give them all
$4,000, as the entire appropriation in
any one year state, town and county
would only he 1925, 900. But the law
was so arranged that if the number Of
towns exceeded the appropriation, the
pro rata share for each town, would be
determined by the number of towns APP
plying. 1t was found, however, that
towns, being unacquainted with the
attitude of the state refrained from &C
cepting state aid sufficient to make the
appropriation fully adequate to satisfy
all applications. No town was restrict
ed in the amount it might apply for if it
did not exceed the maximum limit.
Towns were allowed to apply for any
amount from dollar up to $1,000 The
result was that eighty-seven towns took
advantage of state aid These towns
We're principally towns whose financial
condition allowed them to take advan-
tage of the law, while the poorer towns
of the state by large majority remain
ed outside. In our state we have 30
towns with grand list of under one
million dollars, and IS towns with a
grand list of over one million dollars;
so it can be readily seen that the finan-
cially strong towns are in the minority
and the poorer towns of the state are in
the majority. We found that it was
not altogether the question of the finan-
cial assistance furnished the towns Of
the state which brought about an OBJ
lection, but it was in other provisions
in the law, the chief objection came
from towns in county who did not ap-
ply for state aid Directing to furnishing
funds to construct roads in other parts
of the county, in which towns did apply.
In other words to pay a county tax
when they did not apply themselves.
The other objection was migrated in
the law was a provision that the COM
missioners should lay road that should
be smooth and firm and convenient for
travel, at all seasons in the year, and
named as limit to which the commits
sioner should go, Macadam, Tolford,
and gravel or stone road. This defini-
ton called for the very best and the
most expensive constr uction known in
road building. Many of the little towns
were not so situated either financially
or with material to comply, hence they
offered a strenuous objection to this
clause. Both of these objections were
removed at the sitting of the legislature
of 1897, and an amendment TO the law
was made whereby the state contributed
one-half and the town in which, the
work was to be done contributed the
other half of the total expense for the
of the road removing the
county tax entirely
The other feature which was objec-
tionable, in regard to the kind of road
to be laid. was also removed leaving
powers with the commits
sion. The sum total of the entire APP
preparation for these two years was not
quite equal to the amount appropriated
by the state, but quite number of the
smaller towns came in and asked for a
small appropriation, discretionary pow
ers having been given the commissioner
to allow towns in which an appropria-
ton did not exceed FIVE hundred dollars
to accept the contract without conpeti-
ton. On the assembling Of the legisla-
ture in 1899 the towns had been so
favorably impressed with the law that
they applied to have an increase in the
appropriation. This request was grant
ed by the legislature and an appro
priation made Of s350,000 The number
of towns was so great applying for the
appropriation that the appropriation
was exceeded by nearly $500, 900, so that
a pro rata scaling down process on the
amounts asked for by the towns had to
be resorted to. The law had now at
tanned such a degreee of perfection that
it was Endorsed practically unanimous
by the entire state of Connecticut.
On the assembling of the legislature
in 1901 the appropriation was increased
by a unanimous vote of the II louise and
Senate to $45O,0OO. The number of
towns that applied exceeded the appro-
priation $3.50, 0O0 and again the scaling
down process had to be resorted to.
which resulted in IS towns having their
.ovv,1;cof;ora ra1uca1 fro,,, 90 900 A =.