Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-08-12

The 1915 Legislature. realizing the
conditions which confronted the De-
partment, declined to sanction the ad-
diuon OF more mileage to the State
Highway System, the sole exception
being one important historical high
way which it was generally recognized
should belong to the State. Governor
Martin G. Brumbaugh, who has been
a consistent and able advocate of
good roads and who has insisted that
the State Highway Department be so
conducted as to give the greatest eff
cheney to the people, supported the
Legislature in thus limiting the in
crease OF mileage in the State High
way System.
With the knowledge that any ex-
tensive era of construction was out
of the question in view of the financial
limitations of the Department, the
1915 Legislature made an appropria-
ton of SS,300.000 to the State High
way Department for all purposes dur
ing the biennial period of 1851.
OF this lump sum appropriation ST.
500,000 was specifically designated as
the States share of the cash tax bonus
due the townships under a previous
enactment which abolished the time
honored practice of working out road
taxes on the highways and specified
that each township collect its taxes
in cash, the State agreeing to a re-
fund of fifty per cent. of the amount
thus collected provided that it did
not exceed twenty dollars a mile. AS
the State had been unable to fulfill
its pledged repayment to the town
ships. this $500. 900 was specifically
designated for that purpose and over
it the State Highway Department ex-
ercised merely custodial care.
In the Ss,300,000 appropriation.
$500, 900 was set aside as the States
share in State-aid construction and
maintenance Of highways, this being
the system whereby the State bore
struction and maintenance of an i'm
proved road, the remaining fifty per
cent. being borne by the applying par
ties, who were designated as the
county, the township and the borough,
any one of them or any two of them
or all three of them in conjunction.
Still another item in the $500, 900
appropriation was that of $3.50, 900
specifically appropriated for the pur-
chase or condemnation of turnpike
toll roads.
Fifty thousand dollars was specifi-
cally appropriated for the mainten-
ance, repair and reconstruction of the
OLD National, or Cumberland Road,
the only road ever built by the Fed
eral Government. This road passes
through three counties in the south
western corner of Pennsylvania.
With these specific appropriations
deducted from the SS,300,000 lump
sum, there remained S6.000,000 or
$3,000,000 a year. which was appro-
priated for the maintenance. care and
construction of State highways. As
the mileage Of the State Highway Sys-
tenn is 10.200 and as the amount thus
appropriated is 100000 a year, it
can be seen readily that the amount
available for each mile in the State
Highway System is less than $500 a
year.
with these facts confronting the Of
ficials of the State Highway Depart
ment, it was decided that the subject
of construction must be left indeter-
inmate and that the work of the De-
partment during the seasons OF 1915
and 1916 must be concentrated upon
the proper maintenance of the high
ways under its control.
Another factor entered into this
consideration. The moneys derived
from the registration and licensing of
motor vehicles by the Automobile Di-
vision of the State Highway Depart
ment had heretofore been appro-
priated to the Department for use on
the State Highways. Owing to the fact
that the States revenues were deemed
liiS SiiiSlehI " hieet IAe ldISe demands
made upon them by institutions and
charities, it was found that the Legis-
lature would not be able to appro-
PIRATE the full amount necessary for
the State Highway Department exclu-
sive of this automobile money. There
fore, the Appropriation Bill, calling
for $S,300, 900, contained a proviso
that the appropriation should Include
| and not be in addition to the moneys
derived from the registration and H.
| censing of motor vehicles" There
| fore, while the State Highway Depart
ment receives indirectly, as a part OF
| the general fund. the motor vehicle
license money. it does not receive 1t
in addition to the appropriation made
from the general funds.
Necessarily, the amount of construc-
tive work done by the Department