The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1914-09-22

| miles, outside of municipalities, OF
which amount about $4,000 miles are
classed as improved" leaving about
| 81 500 miles to be improved. The
| principal roads of the state are des-
ignated as ''intercounty" roads, and
] these make up about 9.400 miles, or
| IL per cent OF our total road system.
Having in mind the necessity for the
| immediate repair OF the main arteries
! of the state. the general assembly OF
1913 designated about 2,400 miles Of
the inter-county system as main
market roads, and provided funds for
! the construction, maintenance and re-
,aTr or ng whole rnrougn rns pass
hge OF the so-called "Hite-Hudson"
halfmin levy law.
II was estimated that an annual
levy of one-half Of one mill on all OF
the taxable property Of the state
would produce about S3,500O00 an
estimate was very nearly correct.
It was proposed to supplement this
by an equal amount from the various
counties. making a total Of seven
millions of dollars available each
year for purposes OF highway i'm
/ Irovement, maintenance and repair.
Seventy-five per cent OF the money
raised by the state, the Hite-Hudson
bill provides, shall be expended un.
der the provisions OF the law Great.
ing the inter-county system, which
means about $4,000 OF state aid to
each OF the Lightweight counties each
year.
! In Smaller Counties.
The general assembly recognized
that certain OF the less populous
counties of the state might not be
able to meet the states $4,000 with
made that in such q case the state
highway commissioner shall then eD
pend the full share of that county in
the improvement OF it's more i'm.
| portant inter-county roads. The re-
mainder of the funds raised. 25 per
cent, are placed in the state treasury
to be expended in the improvement of
the main market" roads. II was the
intention OF the general assembly
i that these main market roadside
| principal thoroughfares of the state
should be built by the state without
contribution from the local authori.
ties. Some OF the counties have been
80 anxious to obtain a share of this
fund that they have put up dollar for
| dollar, and, In some instances. three
dollars for one, for all market road
money spent on their work. Before
| leaving this phase of the subject, il
must be borne in mind that none Of
the money derived from the half mill
J levy law was availabale until this
year. The only other funds devoted
to highway improvement come from
the annual tax on automobiles, which,
this year, amounts to about $3.50, 900,
Plan in Other States.
Lest 1t be assumed that Ohio is go.
Ing too far in the matter OF appro.
priations for road improvement at.
tention is directed to the appropria.
tions made for the current year by
ether states. Following is the latest
available data: Iowa, S7,3lO,.
600; Maryland, $S,700,000; Michigan,
$4,lS3,972; Minnesota, $5,672.25 4;
New York, $4,000 900; Illinois, $1.3OO,.
600; Maine, S1,540,000; Massachu.
setts, $2.4+T.S15 Mississippi, $l,72O,.
900; North Carolina, nearly $4,000.
000 North Dakota $2,365,000 Ore.
gon, $3,sSS000; Pennsylvania, $3,500..
900; South Carolina, $1,000,000; Vir-
ginia, about S2,0O0,00O; West Vir.
ginia, s2,2S6,557 and Wisconsin,
Sl,230,000. compared with other
states, Ohio's appropriation OF SO, 800,
GOO is neither extraordinary nor out
OF proportion) Needless to say all OF
these states together with California,
Alabama Arizona, Colorado, Della.
ware, Idaho, Kentucky, New Jersey.
New Mexico and others. have lons
ago discarded the so-called county
plan in favor of the state" plan. and
are all prosecuting the Improvement
OF their more important roads
through state or centralized bureau.
or all the progressive states of the
Union West Virginia was the only
one to 80 back to the antiquated
county plan. after il had once adopted
the state plan, and after that state
had experimental at great cost for a
few months. It again returned to the
state plan.
Ohio Under State Plan.
Examination OF the records on file
in the Office of the state highway com.
missioner dlscloses the following:
Since Jan. /. 1914, The state high.
way department has contracted for,
or assumed the care OF, in behalf OF
the various counties, about 1000 miles
of improvement OF this amount it will
actually complete, before the close
of the year, approximately 500 miles
Every dollars worth OF this work was
Oilered for sale under public. open
and competitive biddinS and. with two
or three exceptions, the contracts
were awarded to the lowest bidder;
the exceptions heing made upon the
objection OF county commissioners, q,
for other good and sufficient cause
| Whieh led the damn rftnauf M ha1iava