The Carbon County news. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1924-1931, 1926-06-03

shutting a complete trunk system as
provided for in the federal highway
/ plans for Montana, 1000 miles have
been completed. Five hundred miles
in the national forests will be built at
federal expense, leaving 800 miles
for construction through federal-state
cooperation In some cases where work
has been done in Montana, the federal
government has paid all the cost.
The federal appropriation which
will revert on June 80, 1927, unless
previously obligated, amounts to ST.
$4,000. The appropriation approved
by congress on Feb. 6, 1925, will make
available to Montana $1,500,000 for
the fiscal years ending June 80, 1926,
and June 80, 1927 These appropria-
lions revert two years after the close
of the fiscal years for which the ap-
preparations were made.
Only State to Drop Aid
Montana is the only state that has
allowed federal appropriations to re-
vert to the United States treasury"
Mr.. GOA said. "At the same time it
is one of the few states that is cred
tied with an appropriation in an ex-
cess of the amount contributed to the
federal government in excess taxes on
motor vehicles. For every dollar lost
to the counties through the change in
distribution of gasoline tax money I'M
der the proposed law, about 81 would
be returned by the matching of state
money withe federal aid appropria-
tions.
ITO obtain the benefits of these
federal appropriations it is necessary
for the state to cover each dollar of
the appropriations to the extent of
70 cents. The amount of federal funds
originally allotted to Montana but re-
verting to the United States treasury
on June 80, 1925, was $656,OOO.
"Forty-four states now,levy a gaso-
line tax. Four of these levy a one
cent tax, Is levy a two-cent tax, one
has 21a cent tax, Is assess a three
cent tax, three levy a four-cent tax,
and one state, North Carolina, has a
| five cent tax
| According to the state highway
commissions figures, if state funds
are made available to match federal
aid, there will be performed by the
state during the next 10 years, road
work and maintenance work of the
gross value of $37,300,O0O These ex-
penditures would be as follows:
Construction of 3,100 miles of road
at $4,000 a mile (including bridges)
S27, 100000; maintenance, S8,OO0,OO0;
administration and engineering, ST.
100000.
The revenue would be S16,500,000
from federal aid and S20,S00,0 900 esti-
mated from three-cent gasoline tax.
This means that if the three-cent tax
measure is adopted, there will be suf-
ficient money to complete the inter-
county or federal highway system and
to enable the state adequately to main
tain the completed mileage 1t is the
opinion of highway engineers that
federal aid will not be available after
1886.
1t was pointed out by Mr.. GOA that
the 10-year program which the initi-
alive measure, if enacted, will make
possible, will permit the counties to
build better roads to connect with the
trunk system, thus furthering espec-
tally the interests of the farmers in
facilitating the transportation of crops
, to primary marketing points.
Mr.. Coca reported that there is 8
splendid response in the campaign
for signatures for the initiative
, measure" Everywhere he is finding
willing cooperation.