The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1912-11-20
THE $50. 600, 900 BOND ISSUE


Harrisburg, Nov. ia canvass
Of the results of the recent election
OF members of the State Legislature
justities the announcement by the
Pennsylvania Motor Federation that
the newly elected Senators and Rep
resentatives are almost without ex-
ception favorable to the proposed
amendment to the constitution to
to 100000 for building good
roads. The Legislature of 1911
passed this amendment without a
dissenting vote, and If it goes
through the 1913 Legislature it will
be submitted to the people for their
final approval next year.
The Federation finds that the
comparatively few arguments at
tempted here and there against the
bond proposition have been based on
a misrepresentation, and have been
virtually without effect. The at
tempt to make it appear that the
bond issue will increase the tax bur-
dens on farms and other real estate
has fallen fiat because the public
knows real estate pays no State tax
in Pennsylvania. The bulk of the
State revenue is derived from cor
porations, the remainder coming
from bonds, mortgages, licenses, au-
tomobiles, etc.
A circular urging people to vote
against the bond issue in the recent
election was issued not long ago by
someone who did not even know that
the people could not vote on it un-
til it had passed another Legisla-
ture. With equal lack of knowledge
the circular alleged that there was
40 such thing as road that would
Withstand the wear of automobile
traffic, whereas the fact is that the
experimental work of the State
Highway Department has establish.
ed several methods by which the
wear and tear of automobile traffic is
reduced to a minimum. One of these
test roads, extending five miles
north from Harrisburg, is pronounce
ed virtually indestructible.
1t is well know that the deteriora-
tion OF State roads constructed in
the past has been due to the fact that
they were given over to the town
ships to keep in repair and no re-
pairs were made. The fate of these
fine roads is considered the best
argument against the suggestion
that the State should give all its
road money to the township super
visors. Under the new highway law
the State owns the main roads and
will keep them in repair. AS only
the surface is affected by wear the
problem OF maintenance is simple
and comparatively inexpensive on a
road that has a proper foundation.
The first cost of such roads as the
iC htti fc
cause it includes a foundation that
will last for centuries if the top
dressing is taken care of.
1t is incorrect to say the $50,O0O,-
600 loan proposition will cost $2,-
100000 a year interest, because the
bonds will be issued only as the
money is needed, and the earlier is
sues will be retired before the last
of the S5O,000,000 will be needed, so
that never more than a fraction of
the total issue will be bearing inter-
est at one time. But even $500
600 year, If expended direct for
roads, would provide less than $50
a mile for the highways of the State,
and good roads cost from $4,000 to
$4,000 mile to build.
Instead of the routes for the main
highways having been selected by
a favored few, they were laid out in
every district by the legislators
from that district, who best knew the
needs OF their home communities,
and these routes were then enacted
into law by the unanimous vote of
the members of the Legislature of
1911. There are 5000 miles of
these main highways. They radiate
from every county seat. The State
is to build and maintain these roads
perpetually and without a dollar OF
tax on farms or other real estate
Corporations and owners of bonds,
mortgages and automobiles are to
pay the bill. Automobilists already
are contributing 100000 a year to
the State funds for road purposes.
The farmers and local communities
are now relieved of the burden OF
keeping up these main highways and
there Is that much more money for
4. a. l..