The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1911-06-08
FROM THE
STATE CAPITAL
Information and Gossip at
Harrisburg.
D0lNGS OF THE LEGISLATURE.
Sref Mention OF Matters as They
Occur at the State Capital
Official and Other
wise.
D0lNGS OF THE LEGISLATURE.
sIseIOw to Head Commission.


The Sproul Main Highway" bill,
designed to give Pennsylvania a sys-
TEN of over 1000 miles of improved
road reaching every center of popu-
lation and covering all counties OF
the state has been signed by Cover
nor Tener.
Coincident with the statement that
the measure had been approved, the
announcement was made that Ed
ward NJ. Bigelow, former director OF
Public Works, of Pittsburg, creator
of It's system OF parks and boule-
wards, and for years personal rep
resentatiye OF Senator Penrose in
Allegheny County, had been named az
the new Highway Commissioner.
The bill not only provides for
program of road construction. which
will take a dozen years and over
S5O,OOO,OO0 TO carry out, but re-
organize the State Highway Depart
ment under which the State has been
building roads on State aid system
since 1903 at cost OF approximate
ly $1O,OOO,OOO. \
The new act contemplates road
building on the greatest scale of any
state In the Union, as the State Is
gridironed by routes. making half a
dozen crossing the State and connect
ing with roads in the States OF New
York, Maryland. West Virginia and
Ohio. Under the old laws the roads
reconstructed were isolated. and in
only a few cases did they connect
with established highways The new
law links up seyen-eighths of the
macadam roads and makes them part
of system connecting county seats,
industrial towns and places OF gem
eral interest like Gettysburg and
Harrisburg.
Joseph w. Hunter. OF Montgom-
cry County, the present commission
er. who organized the department
and has since directed It, will be first
deputy commissioner
The bill provides for a commission
er at $4,000, two deputies at $4,000,
chief engineer at $1,000, engineer OF
bridges at $500. and force of civil
engineers. craftsmen and other at
taches, together with fifty superin-
tendents, who are TO have charge OF
the districts into which the State will
be divided.
There are provided 296 road
routes, covering every section, and
the new commissioner is to take over
such roads by June l. 1912, and
condemn what toll roads and turn
pixies he cannot buy The main
highways are to be built by the State.
a preliminary appropriation of $3.-
100000 being made for this work.
Should the proposed constitutional
amendment to enable the State to
borrow 100000 900 for road build
ing be passed, the sum can be avail
able, but should II fail successive
Legislatures can appropriate money
to carry out the program. The COM
missioner may change such routes as
he deems eXpedient, and provision
is made for the division of the main
tenance charges between the Com
monwealth and the districts through
which roads pass.
To continue the present system OF
State aid for road construction, the
bill carries 81, 100000, but instead OF
the State paying rs per cent Of the
cost and the balance being divided
between county, borough or town
ship, the State will bear but so per
cent OF the cost, the other half be-
ing paid by the county and subordin-
ate divisions benefited.