Milford chronicle., 1931-03-27
S37,433,6S4 SPENT
in HIGHWAY WORK
SINCE YEAR 1911
[Confinucd from Fra PagrJ

have paid $3.50 per year. and if the
property were located in New Castle
county, in an incorporated town. he
would have paid $3.50. If. he had
lived on farm in New Castle cOun-
ty his tax bill would have been STAG
per year."
"One of the leaders for the good
roads movement in the United
States" Prof. Daugherty continued,
was the late Senator du Pont. He
was the leader of the national group
who advocated national control of
important highways, as distinguish
ed from the group who advocated 10
cal or State responsibility. The ma
tiOnal group had as their argument
| that national roads in European
countries were good roads, an actu-
/ ally workable proposition, while
/ wherever there was State or local
/ responsibility the roads were at best
makeshifts. The other group, those |
cOntending for national participa- /
tiOn, but State control, were en-
trenched behind the theory that the .
benefits of roads, in the United /
States, would not be national, but
chiefly county or State and should
be supported chiefly by those who
get the direct benefit. The result of
these years of discussion and the
half million dollar experiment was
"A compromise, the Federal Aid act
of 1916.
Senator dU POnt was man who
had courage of his convictions. lie
realized that good roads were
matter of education, and that edu-
cation was slow and costly pro-
cess. Accordingly, he proposed to
construct from his own funds Il road
tho length Of the State of Delaware.
OF necessity. a great deal of the
work was experimental in charac-
ter. Tho older of the engineers
present will realize that at that
time, 1910 or 1911. there was moth
ing even approaching the present
amount of highway engineering
technique that there is at the pres
ent time. Senator du POnt drew
upon the engineering skill of tho
world for information and expert
enee. When the Federal Aid act 0
became immensely valuable, for il
was made the basis of the present
good road system of Delaware.
"Fhe highway act of Delaware is
the best example of businessmen in
government of which | know. With
outgoing into the details of the act !
too much, let me mention that in
up the act the best linan-
cial political. and engineering
llinds in the United States were ),
lrawn toEethcr. The hard headed -,
business man supplemented the en- :,
husiastic engineer The practical ,I
politician joined hands with the stu ~
lent of political theory. Each sup nj
llemCntcd and checked the other. :,
When these men set out to write the
Delaware Highway law there was -,
no precedent from which :,
hey could draw material assistance. 81
"The result was the Delaware =,
Highway law. doubt if you gentle -,
nen realize what a monumental ~
Diece of legislation is this act. 1t ~
prescribed limits where limits are
necessary, yet it did not interfere =,
1t the time of the passage of this N
ct there was State revenue of $685., or
90 from motor vehicles. The last NJ
seal year the State revenue from ,.i
rotor vehicles was $2,059 Gag. an in
rcaSe of 5S.5 times. Yet the Gounda -,
Ons were SO well laid in theory and hr
ractice that il has not been neces- nc
lry to amend tho act materially TO
Iis good day. .,
"Tbe gentlemen CnUnCiaied pol
y. All honor to SenatO.' du POnt
" the donation of four million dol
IT, road, all honor to man who ha
as willing to experiment and to hO
)ntcnd with the frailtics of his icl- Fr
w citizen, but the highway act of %
~ is greater monument than a
ny of these other things. Il bears lcr
} name as does the dl POnt DOule- tht
lrd. but travels farther. This act tn,
ld portions of this act have been va
,pied by states from the Atlantic to 20
Z Pacific, lnd they have all profit pr,
TO the extent that they copied nil
g act. The du POnt road is a well dat
instructed road but the financial
'licy onunciated by this highway an
W will endure and DC mOnu- pr,
cnt to Senator du POnt. by cEab- sat
lg Delaware to point the way tn Ge
c other states. Senator du P0nt WI
S built more roads than ! should the
&c to try to estimate" trc
Those in attendance at the meet tur
9. comprising most of the commits she
)ners of the three counties, with bill
cir engineers and other county Of /
crs, found much of interest not tur
ly in the addresses. but also in the vel
of ideas which developed on
ring the meeting. a
Alban p. Shaw, chief engineer of i'm
w Castle county, presided and van
lcomed the visitors. gre
Charles e. Grubbs, former New {
stle county engineer, now cngi- "CC
cr-cxecutive of the County High Eas
y Officials Division of the Amer for
n Road Builders Association, not and
ly brought greetings from the or will
he represents, but gave MOI
Ipful advice in the matter of sun
Inty work. He advocated a uni mat
m modern accounting system and tog,
se cooperation between the sho
Inty and State governments. unu
Jpon Mr.. Grubb's invitation the
unity Highway officials Associa-
n of Delaware voted to affiliate
n the County Division of the r.