Evening journal., 1919-12-17
ads lhe namnhlei ~ In nnrt /.

I
roads the pamphlet says in part
by state aid roads we now mean
east 10 west country roads paid for
jointly by State and county, but built
under the supervision OF the State High
way Department.
IN 1920 the State Highway Depart
ment VIII set aside $4,000 to be used
TO aid the counties IN building roads.
This sum marks an epoch in the story
OF State aid In Delaware.
An adequate State aid policy Is i'm
peratlve in genuine State road build
ing plan. II is obvious that II there
are 1898 miles OF public roads In the
state and II the main arterial or trunk
line system OF go miles comprises the
Stale system directly built and main
ta'ned by the state Highway Depart
ment almost all OF Delaware roads re-
main under country or local control.
THE General Assembly In the session
OF 1903 passed an act providing that
the State should appropriate $1,000
each year for each county, TO assist that
county In road building For years n
has been plain that this amount Of
State aid, $4,000 a year TO each county
was woefilly inadequate In 1906 the
New Castle County Highway Comm's-
sion reported, after four years Of State
aid, that II all the 1000 miles Of the
country roads were TO be improved al
this rate IL would take two hundred
years TO complete the wonkl
In evolving the State road plan
therefore, one OF the main principles
which the chief engineer had in m'ni
as imperative was the extension OF
greater state aid to the counties TO-"
road construction. The additional State
aid legislation recommended by the de-
partment, and passed by the General
Assembly IN 1919. therefore provides
that the State Highway Department
shall set aside not less than 100000 each
year tthe department has more than
doubled the sum for next year 90 be
offered equally 10 the three counties.
The counties are Go appropriate dollar
for dollar to match the state appropris-
tion, and the State appropriation is not
available II the county defaults IN IFS
Obligation. The counties are also to ap-
propriate 800 per mile annually for
the maintenance OF these State aid
roads.
"The really important points in this
legislation, aside from the fact that 10
makes 10 possible more quickly for the
county road system to supplement the
state system and be really an integral
part Of It, are the facts that the con
sruc,ion Of roads is under the general
supervision Of the State H'ghwav De-
partment: that state standards must
be uniformly observed: and That al
though the counties pay for the main
ienance. the maintenance is done In
uniform way through the state by tho
state Highway Department II has long
been clear that The lack Of standards
both as 10 construction and ma'nie-
nance. in the pubic roads OF the state.
has been one Of the greatest drayv-
backs In the States efforts IN main
tain an efficient TRANSFORMATION system
"A maximum or s25OO00 as state aid
Is sveilable 10 each county in 1921 mo
vided The county matches It with
like sum.
I'm all, 81 miles or state aid roads
are now under contract. So miles VIII
be under contract by spring All Of
these are 10 Sussex. in which six con-
tracts are now In operation. I-ndnubf
edly. however, Z miles In New Castle
county viii soon be arranged for.
Under the State Highway Department
60 miles have been surveyed for State
aid work alone thus far this year"