The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1933-01-05

| eminent much more money than it re-
ceives in Federal appropriations
while such sparsely settled States as
Arizona or Nevada are cited as exam
through Federal aid than they pay in
taxes. Somewhere in between these
extremes is Maryland, which pays
more than it receives, but not in such
startling relationship as New York
Critics of this practice (among them
Governor Ritchie) assert that it is I'M
fair to tax the citizens of New York
for new roads in Idaho; proponents de-
clare that much of New York's wealth
comes through its trade with other
sections of the country, and that in a
final analysis the matter stands nearly
even.
Though Maryland has long opposed
excessive Federal bureaucracy, it has
found the bodybuilding system quite
satisfa cory, being one of the few
States which have taken advantage
of all Federal appropriations for roads
since the practice was begun. 1t is
generally held that so long as the
money is available the State might
just as well use it, providing it fits in
with the general road plan.
While Federal appropriations are
likely to receive considerable atten-
ton in times such as these, Harry D.
Williar, Jr., chief engineer of the
State Roads Commission, points out
that the basis income of the commits
sion comes from within the State and
that Federal funds form only a small
part Of the total expenditures. Dur
ing 1881, for example, the commits
sion's total receipts were about $14,-
100000, of which $1,730,00O came
frcnl Washington. This sum, inciden-
tally, was somewhat larger than that
Maryland usually receives, since it in
Guided the normal as we'll as an emer-
gency appropriation.
The most important single source of
revenue last year was the 4 cents a
gallon gasoline tax, which yielded
about S6,5OO,0OO, or forty-six per cent
of the total From license fees, fines,
ETC., collected by the Commissioner of
Motor Vehicles, came $2,400,000; from
county bonds, $1,2OO,0OO; from a spe-
cial bridge loan S1,0O0,000; from rail-
ways, S450,000; from sign permits,
$4,000.
Thus through gasoline :aXes and
license fees and the like automobile
users paid directly some siXty-three
per cent of the Road Commissions
income. A portion Of the balance
might be traced to tax-paying citizens
who do not own or drive automobiles,
a situation which frequently brings
forth protests.
Under the present system, of the 4
cents tax collected on each gallon of
gasoline, 2 cents goes into the fund
for maintenance and reconstruction
of the present road system. One and
half cents is allotted to the construc-
ton of new lateral roads, and the re-
naming half cent goes toward the
elimination of railroad grade cross
ings. This division is provided for by
State law. Funds from the Motor
Vehicle Commission are expended for
maintenance and reconstruction, the
proceeds of special county bond is
sues are used for specified new roads,
State appropriations usually are made
for such specific projects as new
bridges or certain roads, and the mon
ey secured from sign permits goes
into roadside Identification. Federal
funds may be used either for recon-
struction or new roads, with the pro-
vision that the work be done on roads
which are part of the Federal or in
terstate system.
Since any OF all of these sources of
revenue may vary from year to year,
the Roads Commission operates on a
somewhat elastic budget and maps out
its work in accordance with the funds
available. A State law provides that
income from part of the gasoline tax
shall be divided among the twenty
three counties and Baltimore City,
hence the commission works in coop
Grafton with county and city engineers
in planning new projects. This does
not apply to the administration of
Federal funds, however, which are
controlled entirely by the commits
sion.
With half of the proceeds from the
gasoline tax going into maintenance
and reconstruction of existing roads,
it might appear at first glance that
these costs are excessive. However,
under this heading goes the widening
and rebuilding of roads, changes in
curves and grades and the like, SO
that actually most of this fund is ex-
| pended for road building. Mantle