The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1913-05-20
BUREAU OF TOWNSHIP HIGH
WAYS To Be CREATED
WILL ADVISE ROAD SUPERIN-
TENDENTS AND ELECTED BY
SUPERVISORS.

State Has Comprehensive Plan of
Road Improvement For First
Time-PeopIe to Ratify Amend
ment at November Election.
None of the proceeds of the $780,
100000 bond issue proposed by the
constitutional amendment now pend
ing will be available for construction
of main highways until the people
of the State have ratified the amend
ment at the November election, and
then not until the Legislature passes
an act prescribing how the bonds
shall be issued, the interest rate and
other details connected with the 1ssu-
ance of securities. The preliminary
steps to submit the proposed amend
ment to the voters will be taken this
summer and if approved by popular
vote the whole matter will be in the
control of the Legislature.
For this reason it will be neces-
sary for the Legislature in the cur
rent session to make provision for
construction and maintenance or
State highways for the two years
commencing June 80, and the appro-
priations committee is now consid-
ering the amounts of money to be
allowed. While no determination
has been reached, the plan is to di-
vide the fund for road improvement
into three items: One for the con-
struction of main highways along
the plan outlined by the act of 1911,
one for the continuance of the State
aid policy, and one for maintenance
of the highways. These items must
all pass both branches of the Legis-
lature and be approved by the Gov
ernor. 1t is the intention to be lib
eral with road improvements, and
while the Legislature is disposed to
take care Of the great highways
which are proving so valuable, pro-
vision is also to be made for system
attic improvement to township roads,
A million dollars has been recon-
mended for payment of bonus on
work tax in the townships and bill
is pending which will provide $6,-
100000 for improvement of the
township roads by means of special
one mill tax on corporations
The township roads are to be CIV
en- the advantage of State super
vision, and the bill to create bur
eau of township highways to advise
the county road superintendents to
be elected by supervisors in each
county will probably reach the
House from the roads committee
within a week.
For the first time the State of
Pennsylvania has comprehensive
plan of road improvement, some
thing which has been urged for
years, and it includes not only the
chain of main highways, but State
aid roads and township roads. The
$5O,0OO,000 will be used for the i'm
provement of the highways estab-
lished by the act of 1911 and such
additions as may be made by the
present Legislature, which is study
ing the requests for new roads and
| changes in routes. In this manner
| the work of building the great chain
of roads reaching every part of the
State will go on independently and
without interfering in any way with
the State-aid and township roads.
From a State which ten years ago
did not have mile of purely State
road and whose highways were in
i'll repute, Pennsylvania is now be-
fore the country with the most COM
prehensive plan of any State, and
the $50,000,000 will doubtless be
made available so that work can be-
gin a couple Of years hence with the
experience Of years behind it and
| the approval of the people.