The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1922-03-02

cent urban while Vermont Is only 81
per cent. The assessed valuation Of
the city Of New York Is $4,000. 900
10000 This means that practically 50
per cent Of the wealth Of New York
that IS taxed to pay principal and in
terest Of the slO0. 900 10000 Of high
way bonds. that have been issued. will
be paid by the city Of New York
Other large proportions will BE- paid
by the other cities in the State, 50
that the burden that falls upon the
farmer and the small villages is prae
tically nothing. In Vermont this
would not hold true. The proportion
Of taxation that would fall 20 the rural
population would be much greater than
in New York. Take the State Of
Pennsylvania. Its estimated true val
uation is $4,000. 900, 10000 Its
assessed valuation is approximately
SO, 000, 000, 900 00-60 per cent OF the
estimated wealth. II has recently
bonded for s50,0O0,Oo0 for highways.
Pennsylvania has no State tax. The
burden OF taxation. incident TO the
payment OF the interes. and principal
Of Pennsylvania highway bonds, would
not be felt by its inhabitants directly.
Sixty-two per cent Of Pennsylvania
inhabitants are urban. Illinois has
bonded s60.000,00O for highways.
While the credit Of the State is back of
this issue, yet the law issuing these
bonds provided that principal and in
terest be made payable from automo-
bile licenses. In the past year this
amounted TO over 100000 which
takes care Of the interest and makes
payment upon the principal. This
means the tax payers Of Illinois will
have no direct tax. Another State
that is building magnificent perman-
ent highways is California. The es-
timated wealth Of California in 1912
was $500, 0O0, 900. The assessed val
uation in 1921 was approximately
SIS, 900 900, 900. California has no
State tax The amount Of bonded debt
for highways is $4,000, 900. New Jer-
sey thus far has built its permanent
highways by direct tax, although a
bonding measure has been introduced
in the Legislature, but not yet acted
upon. Maryland, with an estimated
wealth Of $4,000, 600, 900 and assessed
valuation of 81, SOC, 000, 900, has bond
ed for highways to the extent Of So
467 900 payable in ten and fifteen
years. Approximately so per cent of
the interest and principal Of these
bonds will be paid by the city Of Bal
timore. The policy of New England
somewhat accords with New Jersey
and Maryland Massachusetts, as
usual, pointed the way to build roads
without creating burdensome bonded
debt. In 1913 a commission was APP
pointed which had under consideration
this whole question Of bonding. In
1915 a law was enacted which CLASH
fled the different classes Of municipal
and State work They have not only
limited the bonds issued, but the life
Of the bond cannot exceed ten years.
This has compelled Massachusetts
largely to look TO other methods to
build roads. Today while her inhabi-
tants are IS per cent urban and the
traffic on her roads is relatively equal,
il not greater, than any other State in
the Union, yet she is building first
class roads in all sections without tax
alton or bonds, as far as the States
work is concerned. 1t is all taken care
Of from the automobile registration
fees Under a previous law, Massa-
chusetts bonded to assist in the build
ing Of highways. At present there are
$S,000,000 of these bonds which will
practically be paid within ten years.
The assessed valuation of Massachu-
sets is approximately $4,000, 900 900.
The State of Maine has issued 81 ,O00,-
900 bonds payable from the income Of
automobiles. New Hampshire has
only a small amount of bonds unpaid
less than 100000 payable between
now and 1924. Connecticut has not is
sued bonds for highway construction
and has no State tax. Rhode Islands
highways bonds amount TO 81, 1000,
making the highway bonded debt for
New England s14,063,0 900 with an es-
timated wealth outside Of Vermont Of
81 / SOC, 600, 900, and an assessed valu-
alton Of S9,0S3, 57s,545. Vermont, with
the exception Of Maine, is the poorest
State per capita wealth, north Of the
Mason and Dixon line. OF the New
England States Maine and Massachu-
sets are building their roads from
automobile license fees; Connecticut