The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-06-16
MILLION DOLLARS
DAY BEING SPENT
For the Improvement OF
Highways in Every Sec
ton of the Country.
palladium Specian

Washington June 16.-One million
dollars day is the record that will
be established throughout the United
States as the expenditure for improv-
ing and maintaining public roads.
Never before in the history of the
country has there been such interest
in the improvement OF highways, and
with the legislatures of the states APP
propriating millions OF dollars for this
purpose, the good roads movement
has received its greatest impetus
since the foundation Of the republic.
The money that will be expended on
the roads OF this country during the
next six months will be more than
ever before in the same period or
time. In 1904, the total expenditure
for the construction and maintenance
of roads and bridges in the United
States amounted to about $So,O0o.00o.
but the expenditure for this purpose
in 1911 will aggregate about $li,oO0,.
ooo Exclusive of Sundays and legal
holidays, the outlay for roads will
amount to $1.0oo.ooo day during the
present road building season. This
includes all moneys raised by local
, taxation. bond issues, state appropria-
tons ana private subscriptions.
Every state in the union" said Lo-
gan Waller Page. director of the I'm
| tied States office of Public roads, in
telling of the results of the great CAM
paign for good roads, seems at last
to be thoroughly aroused to the bene-
fits derived from investments in i'm
proved highways In California. the
state has issued S1S,O00.000 in bonds
with which to build system of state
highways. This work will begin during
the present season. In the. state Of
Connecticut. about $2.250,OO0 will be
expended this year out of the state
treasury for trunk line and state aid
roads. OF the 100000 bond issue
recently authorized in Maryland, over
ST. .25O,000 will be available this year
for trunk line and state aid roads.
Massachusetts will expend from state
revenues over 100000 for the con-
struction and maintenance of state
roads.
1T is expected that at least $4,000
900 will be expended on state aid
roads and on trunk line, systems in
the state of New York, in addition to
$7.000,0 900 already raised by local tax
alton. More money is being devoted
to road improvements in New York
than in any other state in the union.
and the percentage of improved roads
in that state has increased from 10
per cent in 1904 to 60 per cent in
1909.
"Over $2.OOO,OOO is available In
North Carolina from bond issues in
the various counties for road I'M
provement This year. and the legisla-
ture has authorized the construction
of road from the Atlantic ocean to
the Tennessee line, distance Of 425
miles.
In 1910 thirty counties in Ohio
voted $2,50o.O00 in bonds to be ex-
pended this year. Ohio will also ex-
pend about 100000 from state reve-
nues for road improvement. In Penn.
sylvania. the state aid appropriations
will probably amount to over $1,000.
600 and q $4,000, 900 bond issue is be-
ing considered. Various counties In
| Tennessee will expend $1.500.O00 from
bond issues Over 81 100000 will be
expended from bond issues in various
counties in Texas. In Virginia, 3d.
500, 900 has been authorized by various
counties. to be expended this year;
while over $25O.O0O has been appro-
priated in the state of Wisconsin, in
accordance with the state aid sys-
| tenn.
THE prospect for complete sys-
tenn 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 road
laws gives promise that this country
will eventually take it's place with
France in having the most sensible
system of road supervision and main
tenance."