Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-12-20
SADLER VETOES
CINDER ROADS
Declares State Will Not Coun-
tenance Long Time Bonds
For Short Time Roads

Highway Commissioner Lewis s.
Sadler last night laid down the law
TO Nenango county commissioners
who tried to get him to approve
some cinder roads for that county
lie declared that the department
would not give the consent which it
Is empowered to confer under the
act of June IL. 1919, to anything but
roads of Il durable type. longtime
bonds, said the Highway Commits
sioner, cannot be used to build short
time roads. Commissioners Gates
and Culbertson tell the Highway
Commissioner that Nenango county
voters recently approved a bond is
sue for $1,000.0O0, the money to go
for road constructions: and that there
is some sentiment in the county Tor
the construction of cinder highways.
"Our studies" said Commissioner
Sadler, CLEARLY demonstrate that u
ciider road is not serviceable under
modern conditions of transportation.
Upkeep of such a road would be
continuous and costly. When | tell
YOU that maintenance of surface
treated macadam highways costs
this department from $500 to S1,5OO
per mile per year you will under
stand what it would mean to attempt
to spread thin the construction pro
gram to be paid for with borrowed
money longtime bonds should not
and must not be used to build short
tire roads. We cannot consent to
any Improvement paid for wlth Dor.
rowcd money-money borrowed FOR
Il long period OF tme-that is not an
Improvement of durable typ" Any
fth ha MT
waste. Gf NenaTgo county chooses
IL inrsue Il course of that kind /
would suggest the levying of an an
nual tax. The Highway Department
proposes to exercise over large
county bond issues the control given
II in the act of June IL, 1919. TO
put down cinder roads would mean
annual rebuilding. The continuing
cost prohibits this type of construc-
ton. And long before the maturity
Of the bonds issued to pay for the
cinders the roads would have dis
appeared. Such procedure Is eco
nomically unsound. We cannot
countenancc such n PLAN
Miles r. Kits, mayor of Erie,
agreed with Com missioner Sadler
during Il conversation on road mat
ters that the cities of Pennsylvania
very shortly must solve the problem
Of constructing streets which VIII
stand up under modern transporta-
ton methods. 1t was the opinion
of Mayor kits and Commissioners
Sadler that Pennsylvania municipalt-
ties must in the future pay more at
tention to the putting down of pave
ments which will meet the require
ments of modern traffic; and in the
case of paVementS put down with
money obtained from bond issues be
of such a type as will still he in eN-
istencc after the maturity of the
bonds.
Commissioner Sadler expressed the
opinion that spending borrowed
money for the maintenance of city
streets or of State roads is an eco
nomic waste Both the Commits
sioner and the Mayor are of the
opinion that municipalities in future
pavement construction must give
considerable thought to the problem
of building streets which will not
break down under the heavy ton
mage now using them. Rapid disin-
tegration of streets of Pennsylvania
municipalities is declared chiefly due
to the fact that they were not in
tended for the use to which they are
now being put.
The city of Erie is extending its
municipal limits to the south over u
territory embracing part ot State
Highway Route No. 81. The State
Highway Department has under con-
struction considerable mileage on
this route. Mayor kits came to
Harrisburg to learn whether the de-
partment intends to continue its con-
struction from the northern term
mus of the present project to the
Erie city line. The city of Erie will
improve Route No. "a for a dis
tance of approximately one and one
half miles joining the city's present
paving. Commissioner Sadler as
sured Mayor kits that the State
Highway Department next year will
award contracts for the completion
of the pavement between the present
project and the city.