New-York tribune., 1912-02-20
lGA|NST ACTION BY STATE
Manyi0ppoSe Application to Pre-.
vent Letting Road Contracts.
STATEMENT FROM WHITE
Says Autos Must Pay $40, ,000,'
900 in Licenses if State Spends
S10O,000,000 on Roads.

ALBANY, Feb l9-Delegations from many
counties Of up the state lined up to-day in
opposition TO the application of W. Pierre
pont White, Of Utica, to Attorney General
Carnody that he start an action to prevent
the letting by the State Highway Commits
sion of contracts for the Improvement OF
Z certain roads in the state. as authorized by
: twenty-three special bills passed by the
Legislature last year. Joseph A. Kellogg
former Supreme Court justice. as First
Deputy Attorney General conducted the
hearing.
At the close Of the arguments it was an
nounced that Lieutenant Governor Conway
would file a brief in opposition to the ap-
pllcation, and both sides have two days in
which to file papers. Mr.. kellogg announced
that he had received numerous kilograms
and letters, both for and against the ap-
plication.
Mr.. White was represented by Assembly
man Harold J. Hinman. of Albany, who led
the fight against the bills in the LeGis-
lsture last year. and by Ellis J. Staley. at
torney for Albany County, who began pro-
ceedings to have the laws declared uncon-
stitutional under orders of the Albany
Board Of Supervisors. The Court Of APP
bring such an action. This resulted in Mr..
Whites application to the Attorney Gen.
eral
Those favoring the application declared
that the laws for "expediting" special
highway route improvements were uncon-
stitutional in that they did not comply
with the provision of the constitution re-
quiring an equitable apportionment Of the
$so000,O00 bond issue authorized by tho
people for highway Improvement. Those
against the application contended that the
bills were only special in that they def
nitely provided what routes were to be
built, but were general in their provisions.
and would permit the building Of roads
before half Of US are dead" as ex-Assem-
blynnsn Jesse Phillips put IL.
Statement by MIR. White.
A statement by w Pierrepont White OH
| the state highway system. made public
here to-day, follows in part;
The Highway Department has been
| brought into disrepute in New York State
| because il has been compelled TO conduct
| its work under the following hampering
\ section Of the highway law. This pro-
| each county annually its equitable portion
| of both the state and county highways
| The result is that roads have been pullt
/ an small stretches at excessive cost, both
| of construction and maintenance. and the
| highway system thus being constructed i'll
| email annual patches has the appearance
/ of utter lack of system and Intelligent
1 progress. The impatence OF the taXpay-
/ ers over this seemingly laundering and
| actually slow construction mas Ied 10 tne
4 passing of twenty-three special highway
l bills appropriating Sl4,0O0,00O for the con-
4 strucuon Of through routes. These DIS
4 are contrary TO the constitution or the
II 49, haNy "
Il fund without an equitable apporuonment
i of the highways to the counties.
To all students of the state seo ~ hlIghSWay StS
situation the increase of the S50,OO9,OOO TO
S100 600 is plainly necessary II the IN
habitants Of New York State are TO oenetlt
from her, construction and care OF this
II that the second S500OO,000 will not be voted
by the public, If, notwithstanding the fact
that the c0nstitutiop ProvideSh Ior an opc e9o1
( the counties, the Legislature persists IN
\ enacting special bills constructing all OF
the highways in special districts to the
L exclusion of all other counties.
] To sum up the situation, the amendments
| 10 our highway law should accomplish
the following results Erst ,Sa tSseSt tne STATE op
Il the towns and counties, the entire control,
management and maintenance OF this ten
thousand mile highway system. Second
| these state roads should be built and main
| ts;red by the state, and should consist OF
main highways only. Third. these roads
L should De 6QullaDlN- dPpOI bAOilSu SiAOit1
| the counties-one mile of improved main
highway for each FIVE square miles of OF area ga
Fourth, in consultation with the town anG
state officials, these main highways should
bs definitely located so that every one
would know the exact location of this sys-
TEN of main highways. Fifth, the state
! mould be divided into tenths, making pos
| ible the annual construction in each tenth
| n long stretches of highway, less eXpen-
| sive both in construction and maintenance,
| County Roads Also Needed.
II To more completely develop the area of
4 each county they should then be author
ized to. designate, in consultation with the
1 town officials. such addiuQnal highways
/ county.
| The remaining roads not requested by the
| towns TO be included in the state or county
4 system should continue to be cared for as
4 town roads state aid should still con-
1 time to be given to the county and town
1 roads in accordance with the necessity or
Il
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