Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1904-08-11
THURSDAY, AUGUST II.
STATE AID FOR ROADS.

Nebraska--The Legislature recent
passed bill providing for cooper.
alton with the federal government
whenever the plan Of national aid
shall be adopted by congress.
New Hampshire-The Legislature
of New Hampshire recently passed
bill providing for the appoint
ment of state engineer. who shall
prepare a highway map of the state
and plan a system of continuous
main highways which shall include
every town in the state; $4,000 was
appropriated for this purpose. 1t
was also provided in the bill that
the governor and the council shall
prepair bill for the next general
assembly which will provide fully
for the Inauguration of system OF
state work and state expenditure in
the future construction an repair of
highways.
New Jersey-This was the fret
state to take any radical step to.
ward the improvement of her pub.
lie highways. Her state-aid law
was passed in 1891. The stat pays
one .third OF the cost. the counties
two-thirds, and 10 per cent of the
county's share may be assessed on
the town; $25OOOO lie now annually
appropriated by the Legislature for
pay ing the share of the state. The
has already appropriated during
the past ten years $l,5l5,l6s. The
counties have spent more than dou-
BILE this sum, ae they pay for bridg.
es, surveying and incidentals.
There has been built and 10 new un.
der contract by state aid 1000 miles
of road, and there are applications
on file for improvement of 600 miles
of road for which the state as yet
has made no appropriation. All
state aided roads are built under
the direction and according to the
specifications of the state commis.
sioner of public roads. The farm
ers who at first opposed the state
law are now equally enthusiastic
for it, and more roads are being Pc
titioned for than can possibly be
built in many years out of the linn
tied state appropriation. The system
seems popular with all classes.
New York-This state ldst year
appropriated 100000 az state aid
The state pays so per cent of the
cost of the road. the counties 80 per
cent, and the towns (townships) Is
per cent. The state has appropriate
ed. all told, $2O65OOO for state aid
the counties have spent like sum
Two hundred and forty-two miles
of road have been built and 242
miles are now in process of con
structiou. The state engineer and
surveyor has petitions for 1000
miles for which the counties and
towns have either appropriated
their half of the cost or are ready to
appropriate tie share. which will
amount to $l6.9O0OOO. If the state
does not appropriate more than
$4,000 year az aid for the roads II
will take about twenty-seven years
to complete the roads now petition
ed for. Those interested in roads
are not willing to wait 80 long
Therefore at the last session of the
legislature an act was passed pro
posing constitutional amendment
which provides that the state may
bond itself for 100000 a year fol
ten years. thut is, for $5oOOOOOO, fo'
the building of wagon roads. The
amendment must be again passed
by the Legislature Of 1905 and after
wards submitted to the vote of the
people. II Il is adopted il is believ
ed that in the year 1908 this state
will Issue bonds for building roads
On January q. 1904. the senate o
Albany adopted resolution in f.
vor of national aid ss provided fo'