The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1922-01-06

lows:
| |. Federal aid from the national
government at present rate of about
$1,1O0,000 per year for six years
t$6,6Q0,O00.
2. The automobile license receipts.
If the licence fee is increased to
correspond with the average in the
United States, which, for example
would change the fee for Ford cal
from So per year to So per year, and
for Cadillac from SIS per year
to S23 per year, this source would
yield on an average approximately
S1,300,000 per year, or a total for
six years of S7,SO0,000.
3. The two mill property tax now
effective would yield an average of
slightly more than s1,0O0,000 per
year or about S6,200,000 for the six
years.
4. A tax of cent per gallon on
motor vehicle fuel could be imposed
without appreciable burden and
would yield an average of between
S5OO,OOO and S6OO,0OO per year, or
say $3,400,000 for the six year pc
riod.
! A state bond issue of only S10,-
100000 would bring the total fund
up to $34,000,000, and this issue
could be so arranged that a part of
the revenues above suggested would
take care of it during and after the
six year period.
This S34,00O,00O fund would be
sufficient to carry out the following
described program of road improve
ment:
! l Construct 1000 miles of soft
surfaced roads, including minor
bridges and culverts, $4,000 per
mile, s1O,OoO,OOO.
2. Construct 400 miles of hard
surfaced roads, including grading
and the minor bridges and .culverts,
$4,000 per mile, $10,000,000.
! 3. Construct all of the important
bridges on the state highway sys-
tenn not already provided for at a
cost of about s5,500,000.
; 4. Provide annually a sufficient
amount to maintain all state roads
previously constructed varying from
100000 per year at present to
about s1,500,0O0 per year when the
state system is complete, or about
S5,5O0,000 for the six years.
5. Maintain the state highway de-
partment at cost of about $780,
600 per year, or s1,200,00O for the
six years.
g.. Provide interest and sinking
fund of $1,S00.0O0 for bonds. In
terest and sinking fund, after the
six year period, could be provided
from the same revenues with a SUBJ
stantial balance for matching sub
sequent federal aid and continuing
the construction of hard surfaced
roads
Miles in Present System
The state highway system as at
present planned contains about 81
500 miles of road, of which more
than 1900 miles will be completed
or provided for by the end of 1921,
including more than 200 miles of
hard surface The 2,400 miles pro-
vided in the above program would
therefore complete the system and
enable the addition of some 500 or
900 miles to the present layout. The
400 miles addition of hard surfacing
would also take care of practically
all parts of state roads where the
the traffic is too heavy for the soft
surface and where the counties have
not already made arrangements for
hard surfacing.
The expenditure Of the $4,000
900 proposed for road construction
can be eQuitably distributed among
the counties according to any rea-
sona0le schedule and can then COM
plete the highway system as above
stated. If the distribution were
placed, for example, one-third on
land area, one-third on assessed val
uation and one-third on motor vehi-
Gle license receipts for 1921, no
county would receive less than about
S1SO,O0O, and in each case the
county's proportion would be suffi-
cient to complete the state roads
within the limits, due regard being
had for the type of surfacing which
the present traffic would warrant.
As examples of how a distribution