The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-02-23
TWENTY MILLION
TO Be SPENT ON
STATE HIGHWAYS
Shelby Road Building Will Re-
CeiVe Liberal Aid From the
State, According to High.
way Commissioners.

Ine road building program in Ten
nessee for the next two years will call
ior the expenditure of at least 500 900
WV. That Is the estimate made by
LIleInDers Of the state highway com
mission who are spending the day in
an inspection of some of the principai
hlgnways OF Shelby county as the
guests of the county commissioners.
IN general way, the plans of the
Pnlghway commission are to develop the
main highways of the state" said w
t. Moore, chairman of the commission
That includes work on the Memnhis.
to- Bristol highway, east and west and
on the Dixie. highway, north and south,
ana the various connecting links. We
also have In mind the construction Of
INKS ~ these varaious highways which
s,,,,s Mil, run A. .l,, q general way from the
| Nashville"
The highway commissioners stated
that the $40 100000. road building pro-
gram referred to above, includes the
roads to be built by the state, with
| federal aid, and the road building plans
OF the various counties, in many of
which both federal and state aid will be
available to supplement the work done
at the expense OF the counties.
The state has under survey, either
partially completed or which will be
completed within 60 days, more than
L,VVV lllCS vi highway. oOIIlS Oh LnlS
is under construction, like the pike
from Memphis to Millington, which was
| one of the roads inspected Monday by
the commissioners. Other links in the
| general road system will be let within
80 to 60 days, and before the middle
Of summer more than three -fourths of
the 1000 miles will probably be under
construction.
| On the main highways the federal
government under the recently enacted
| road laws, will assume SO per cent of
! the cost. Thus far the state has had
funds available for only one-sixth of
the cost of these contracts. Next year,
| it is anticipated that the road funds
available from the one mill state road
tax and the automobile license taxes
will be at least double the amount avail
able for use this year.
| w. G. FISHERMAN, of the state COM
mission said it is his hope that within
few years the state will have suf-
ficient funds available so that the state
and federal government together may
| be able to assume the entire cost OF
| the construction of the main highways,
| leaving all county funds for eXpendi-
ture on the connecting county roads.
Memphis and Shelby county pay a
large proportion of the state taxes, in
cuding the road tax, said Mr.. Moore,
land we realize that the fact that a
number of the principal highways north
and south and east and west, passing
through your county demand as much
| aid from the state as can reasonably be
| given, and we hope to be able to ap-
propriate a large amount both this
year and next for the main highways
| in this county,
w. W. House, of the commission, as
well as Mr.. Moore and Mr.. FISHERMAN
said that the shortage OF railroad cars
and scarcity of labor is hampering the
work Of the commission considerably
but that they hope for some relief with
| in a short time now. The commission
ers will return to Nashville Monday
| piuht