The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1919-02-27
HARD ROAD PROPOSITION
STILL BEING CONSIDERED
Impossible Roads A Big Boost For
Permanent Highways

Among the live good roads boost
ers of this section Lee Larrabee has
prominent place. Lee is one of
those kind of fellows who believe
that keeping everlastingly at it will
win and is always on the lookout for
information pertaining to the ques-
ton under discussion.
A Mr.. Stanton of the Western
Paving Brick Manufacturers Assp-
citation was in Liberal recently get
ting figures preparatory to submit
ting a bid for the paving contract
in Liberal, and Mr.. Larrabee asked
him for some information in regard
to permanent roadways. Upon his
return to Kansas City he took the
matter up with the firm and Mr.. Lar
rabee is in receipt of the following
letter from them:
Feb. 81, 1919.
Mr.. Lee Larabee,
Liberal, Kansas
Dear Sir:
At the request of Mr.. Stanton,
have made some rough computations
on the cost of road construction as
it must be distributed under the pres
ent Kansas Road Law.
Assume the total cost of construc-
ton of an 18-foot highway at $780,
900 per mile and that the benefit
district extends one-half mile back
each side of the road. Kansas laws
states that after federal aid contri-
buttons or other funds for construc-
ton have been de Quoted from the
cost, the balance will be distributed
IN accordance with the following rule:
so per cen against the county at
large in accordance with valuation.
25 per cent against each town
ship through which the road passes
according to valuation and in the
proportion that the area of the bene-
fit district in each township is to the
total area of the benefit district OF
the entire road.
And the other 25 per cent is as
sessed against the benefit district
outlined in the petition in accord
ance with the amount of benefit as
determined by the County Commits
sioners which each farm in the bene-
fit district will receive.
With the above assumptions, the
direct tax per acre on the land in the
benefit district will be $19.53, which
may be paid without interest on the
completion of the work, or if pre-
ferred in twenty annual installments
of $.976 per acre plus per cent in
terest on the unpaid balance.
The township and county taxes
cannot be stated in dollars and cents
unless the value of the land in the
benefit district and the total assessed
valuation of the county, are known,
but in a large county the cost per
$4,000 of valuation would, OF
course, be quite small.
On roads approved by the State
Highway Commission, federal aid in
amount of rs per cent of the con-
struction cost is now allowed in Kan
sas. This, by the way, may be in
creased, if the present bills in Con-
gress pass.
If your road therefore, receives
% per cent federal aid, the direct tax
to the land in the benefit district,
would amount to but $14.65 per
acre, if paid at the completion of the
work, or $0.732 per acre, plus inter-
est, covering a 20-year period.
If this is not exactly the informa-
ton you wish, l hope you will let me
know, as l will be very glad to go
into the matter further with you.
Yours truly,
CLARK R. MANDIGO.
1t will be noted in the letter refer
ence is made to an eighteen-foot
! roadway which it is estimated will
cost $4,000 per mile. Speaking of
the matter Mr.. Larrabee says that an
eight-feet of gravel on either side will
provide all the width necessary, and
this will reduce the cost approximate
! ly fifty per cent, since it is necessary
to have shoulders at either side any
way.
Since the estimate of an eighteen
foot roadway is $19.53 per acre, it
will be seen that figuring a nine-foot
road the cost per acre will be $9.76
per acre. This may be paid in TWEEN
ty years. And as, if stated in the
-. - =. Lorna h,y Had