Twin city review. [volume] (Champaign, Ill.) 19??-1929, 1924-11-21
ROAD BOND ISSUE
INSURES LARGE
HIGHWAY PROGRAM

On the face Of incomplete returns,
! it appears that the Sl00,000,000 State
Hard Road Bond Issue has passed
with majority on the proposition Of
over one million, and a constitutional
majority of approximately 100000.
A few days will be required TO de-
termine the final vote. Colonel c. X.
Miller, Director of the Department of
Public Works and Buildings, and
Frank r. Sheets, Chief Highway En-
gineer, in commenting on the present
! highway situation, made the follow
ing statement:
THE passage of this measure will
insure that Illinois will continue to
construct highways at the same
worlds record breaking rate which
has enabled the state to surpass all
highway construction records for each
of the past three years. During 1924
Illinois will complete approximately
1900 miles. which is more than double
the mileage built by any other state,
and it is entirely probable that our
state will build approximately 1900
miles during the year 1925. Had the
Bond Issue failed, it would have been
necessary to reduce this program 10
approximately lS5 miles. 1t has, for
the past few years, been the custom
of the Division of Highways, to re-
ceiye bids and award contracts dur
ing the fall and winter months in or
der that the contractors might set up
their plants, store materials during
the spring months, and thus be en-
abed to take advantage of every good
working day. Anticipating the pas
sage of the Bond Issue, and desiring
to waste as little time as possible,
Governor Small authorized the De
partment of Public Works and Build
ings to advertise some 63l miles of
Bond Issue roads. the bids to be re-
ceiyed conditional upon the passage
of the proposed Bond Issue. lnasmuch
as the Bond Issue seems to be safely
carried, the Department will receive
! bids for road work on November y,
! November 26, and December II. No
awards of course en- be made until
final returns are complete. Under
the terms of the new law, the original
road system contemplated under the
I $4,000 600 Bond Issue shall be placed
under contract before work is under
taken on the new routes. The only
exception to this is where engineering
conditions make it clearly impracti-
cable to let final PAVING contracts on
account of heavy grading, large
bridge work, or similar conditions.
! The new Bond Issue law carries with
it an approximation of the amount
to be derived from the bonds and this
appropriation will not expire until
June 80, 1925. This, therefore, makes
il possible for the Department to let
additional contracts obligating this
new appropriation. The new law fur.
Their provides that no bonds can be
sold until the money is actually need
| ed for construction. 1t may be re-
membered that the last of the $780,
600 900 Bond Issue was not sold until
just few months ago and the balance
of that fund has only recently been
expended. Pursuing this same course,
the sale of the S100,000,000 Bond
Issue will be arranged in small blocks
of bonds which will be sold at such
times as contract obligations may re-
quife the funds, thus avoiding I'M
necessary payment of interest"
Governor Small in commenting ON |
the road situation, said,
Il am very much gratified at the |
confidence which our people have eX-
pressed in our highway program by |
ratifying the $100,000,000 Bond |
Issue law with majority of over one