Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-02-07
URGE PERRY ROAD
. ON LEGISLATURE
State Officials Point Out the
Importance of Counties CO.
operating Now

A delegation numbering more than
one hundred and fifty persons from
Allegheny, Butler, Lawrence, Mercer,
Crawford and Erie counties. was here
yesterday to urge the rie-Pittsburgh
highway. The delegation was so large
that the State Highway Department
officers We're too Cramped and the
delegation meeting was held in the
Senate caucus room. s-a
The meeting was presided over by
Mayor Miles b. kits, of Erie, and the
object of the meeting was explained
by Frank /. Gollmar. of Pittsburgh.
The Governor was the next speaker.
He told the delegation that he con-
sidered that they were justified in
asking the Improvement OF this i'm
portant mainline highway. The Gov
ernor was followed by j. L. Moore, OF
Erie. He told of the growth of the
sentiment for this particular highway
and expressed the desire that the ef
forts of those who had been laboring
10 bring ii about would be rewarded
with success.
State Highway Commissioner Black
was then introduced. He said that he
fully agreed with Governor Brum-
baugh that the road should be built at
the earliest possible minute but he
said that the problem confronting the
State Highway Department in this as
in all other instances, was that OF get
ting sufficient money for the purpose.
Commissioner Black said that he
thought the time had come for the
people OF Pennsylvania to realize that
they must shut their eyes and spend
money in order to have this important
highway situation cleared up. He eN-
planned that he meant by that that
the time had passed for a penny-wise-
pOund-foolish policy in highway con-
struction.
The commissioner cited a table of
appropriations TO show how much
money would become available on
each million of an appropriation made
to the department for road construc-
ton in the counties through which the
Pittsburgh Erie road would pass. He
said that these figures showed that it
would be necessary either to increase
the appropriation which the depart
ment intends asking for from the
1917 Legislature four times or else to
get cooperation from the counties
through which the road passed. This
could be done. he explained, if each
county would contribute an amount
equal to the amount which the State
Highway Department would apportion
that county. This would leave a bal
ance of a few hundred thousand dol
lars which, he stated. he believed the
citizens of Erie and Pittsburgh would
be glad to contribute.
Following Commissioner Blacks adj
dress. Senator Eyre, of Chester coun-
ty, chairman of the Senate committee
on Public Roads and Hihgways, was
interested. He told the Western dele
cation that the experience of the coun-
ties in the East had been that the
State Highway Department is only
100 anxious to help those who help
IN .mselveS and that his county had
been one of the first to contribute for
stats highway construction. He urged
the Pittsburgh-Erie Highway advo-
Gates TO form an association and TO
raise contributions to meet the State
in the construction of the road they
wanted.
At the conclusion of Senator Eyre's
address the meeting adjourned.