Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-15
ROAD EDUCATIONAL
CAMPAIG STARTED
Spending of Funds Held I'M
portant by Highway
Officials.

An educational campaign on where
to spend highway money rather than
where to get it has been launched by
the American Association of State High
way officials.
This step, according to w. G. Mark
ham, executive secretary of the associa-
ton, has been made advisable by the ef-
forts Of those who are clamoring Tor Sec
ond and third class road improvement
without realizing that our present policy
of completing State systems is leading
steadily and logically toward the goal
they seek.
This is being done through two re-
suits which come from placing sub
Stanial surfaces on main routes first
and where traffic is heaviest. The
first result of this policy is to hold
road repair costs down to minimum,
and the second result comes from less
ened cost of fuel in automotiye vehicle
operation. Both of these results pro-
vide savings in main route operation
which in turn may be applied TO the
improvement of secondary and third
class roads. While this statement may
be repetition of known facts, it can
not be repeated with too much emphasis.
Long Undertaking.
1.-THE plans under which we are work
ing" Mr.. Markham continued, did
not just happen. 1t took exactly IL years
OF hard-fought legislation, beginning with
the Post Road inquiry of 1912, followed
by long debates and the passage of
amendments running through 10 Con-
crosses, to get where we are.
striking illustration Of the wisdom
of building toward the farm gate, as
we are doing, is found in Illionis, where
the principle of State supervision of
highway funds is most excellent ex-
ample. AS explained by Frank Sheets,
chief highway engineer, counties in that
State are directly responsible for the
maintenance of the so-called State-aid
or county trunk highway system, COM
prising some 1900 miles in the State.
The county superintendent Of high
ways, who is appointed by the County
Boards of the counties after an exam
ination by the State highway depart
ment, is a deputy of the State depart
ment and acts as the executive head
of the county highway work. Illinois
counties levy a highway tax which
brings in approximately S15,000,000 per
year. This money is used for the main
tenance or construction Of this State
aid system In addition TO these funds.
the State has allotted ! cent of the
gas tax, or approximately 100000 per
year, TO the counties for the construc-
State-aid system under State super
vision. Thus the counties of Illinois,
by means of the gas tax and direct
county levies, are expanding approx
mately $24,Oo0,0O6 per year on the
county trunk highway system. Many
counties have also reSorted to county
bond issues to speed up the improve
ment of their roads. In such cases the
bonds are 20-year serials.
Stimulation Seen.
"Since the allotment of a definite
share of the State gasoline tax to the
counties there is seen a marked slim
ulation Of county road improvement.
Many Of the counties have already
capitalized their yearly allotments Of
such funds by voting county bond
issues, which a provision that no direct
tax on real or personal property shall
be levied until after the gasoline tax
allotment has been used TO retire the
obligations due in any given year.
THE belief is expressed in Illinois
! that the next 10 years will see in that
State as marked an advance in the
improvement of secondary roads as the