The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-06-09
ONE olILLIoN THE DAY.

One million dollars the day. That is the
record that will be established this year
throuGho the United States as the
expenditure for Improving and main
tanning public roads. Never before
III the history Of the country has there
been such interest in the Improvement
of highways" asserts a Washington
dispatch. and with the Legislatures
of the States appropriat ting millions of
dollars for this purpose, the good roads
movement has received its greatest inn
petus since the foundation of the re-
public"
The money that Will be spent on the
roads of the nation in the next six
months Will be more than ever before
In the same length of time. In 1904. the
total expenditure for the construction
and maintenance OF roads and bridges
in the United States amounted to about
sS0.o0o,0oo, but tho expenditure for this
purpose in 1911 Will aggregate about
sl4o.5o0.0oo. Excluding Sundays and
public holidays. the outlay for roads
Mil amount to 100000 the day dur
Ing the present road building season.
This includes all money raised by local
taxation. bond issues. state appropria-
tions and private subscriptions.
Every state in the Union. according
TO Director Page, OF the United States
Office of Public Roads seems at last
TO be aroused TO the benefits derived
from investments in improved high
ways. In California. the State has
issued s1S,oo0,ooo in bonds with which
to build system OF State highways
This work Will be accomplished during
the present season. Connecticut will
expend this year about s2,250.ooo for
kline and State aid roads, this
whole sum coming out of the State
Treasury. OF the $1,000, 600 bond issue
lately authorized In Maryland, over
S1,25O,0o0 Will BIO available this year
for trunk-line and State aid roads
Massachusetts Will expend from State
revenues more than 100000 for the
construction and maintenance of State
roads.
The expectation Is that at least S.
600. 900 will be spent on State aid roads
and trunk-line systems In the State of
New York in addition to $1,000, 900 al
ready raised by local taxation New
York is putting moro money In road
Improvement than any other state In
the republic. The percentage of i'm.
proved roads in that State has in
creased from 10 per cent. in 1904 to 60
per cent. In 1909. VA
7 More than s2.ooo,ono is available In
North Carolina this year from bond
issues in the various counties for road
Improvement. The Tar Heel Legisla-
ture has authorized the construction
OF a rond from the Atlantic ocean to
the Tennessee line. distance Of 4o5
miles. H
In 1910, thirty counties In Ohio
voted s2.5oO.ooo in bonds to be ex
pended this year Ohio viii also ex
pend about. 100000 from state reve-
nues for road Improvement. Pennsyi-
varnia's state-aid appropriation will
probably amount to more than $1,000
COO a s5ooooooo BOND Issue is also
likely In the Keystone State. Various
counties in Tennessee will spend more
Than sl,5oo.ooo on bond Issues one
million five hundred thousand dollars
VII be spent by various Texas counties
In bond issues, In Virginia $4,000, 900
ms been authorized by various coun-
Ties to be expended this year. Wiscon-
sin has voted s25o,ooO for state aid
+ OF roads
Director Page makes this comment
on the situation:
The prospect for complete system
OF public roads throughout the United
States Is better now than ever before
IN the history of the country, and a
uniformity OF recent good roads laws
gives promise that this country VIII
eventually take It's place with France
/ In having the most sensible system al
rosd Supervision and maintenance"
There is q marked increase in yir.
ginia in public interest In better high
ways. II those who have this reform
at heart will only keep writing and
talking about it, the old Dominion will
Z soon be near the top OF the lis, o,
good roads States