Norwich bulletin., 1916-02-04
TALKS 10 MAYORS ABOUT ROADS
Highway comnaissoner Bennett Tells Them Good Roads Are Necessary Both for Business and Pleasure Mayor Mur phy Presides at SeniiAnnual Meeting of Connecticut Mayors Association.

city in such a manner as to make 1t possible and easy for the city dweller to avail himself of rural quiet and pleasure and make it practical for the view of delivering the product to a city market iE a reasonable time and at a minimum cost of transportation. The highways must also be developed for the transportation of short haul freight between cities or the delivery of freight into the country. The ulti- mate result of such a broad-minded policy of expenditure will be that the assessed value Of the rural property will increase and a more equitable country taxation. If the principal of applying the city's portion>of taxes to local improvement were carried out there would be little need of a state highway department, since there would be practically no possibility of without the tax receipts from the cities.
 Roads For Business and Pleasure.
 It is evident that good roads are necessary, not only for business but for Neasure. The development of the automobile has made 1t imperative for the state government to provide highways for rapid pleasure driving and for safe transportation of heavy loads by motor truck.
 In connection with the development of the highway system. this theory should be made emphatic; the cities pay the greater share of the cost of the highways whether by direct or indirect taxation.
 The roads are being developed along definite lines with the idea of first placing in the highest state of repair those highways which are subjected to the heaviest travel. Though in cer- tain instances this may work a hard ship to some particular city or sec ton temporarily. the final result will be good.
 Financing.
 A word now as to the methods of financing highway improvements. are divided in two distinct classes, namely, cost of con- struction and cost of maintenance. About 6T per cent. of the cost of con- struction is permanent work and can safely be paid for from the proceeds of the sale of bonds issued for com paratively long terms. The remainder of the cost of construction, plus the entire cost of maintenance, is (more or less) temporary and should be raid for by funds secured from cur rent income during the time the work exists.
 Yearly income should pay for yearly repairs and maintenance. that is, the annual constant expenditure for the maintenance and repaid of the surface could be paid for out of the yearly receipts from all sources.
 The expenditures which pay for inn provemcuts which last over five or ten years can be made from income divided over the space of time dur ing which the Improvements exist, but no payment should be made for an improvement after 1t has disap- Thndn T1rinRinlnG axiomatic; to need no further ex- planation.
 Cities Bear the Greater Burden.
 The idea is to emphasize two broad cardinal principles; first that the cities must and do bear a greater part of the burden of the highway improve ments, and second, that all expendi- lures for highways should be reason ably financed in such a manner as to prevent the laying of the burdens on our descendants for work that has disappeared by being worn out.