Evening star., 1934-02-04

Delay Inks lckeS.
1rked by Maryland's delay, Ickes
sought an explanation and was tolc
that the State could not proceed with
comprehensive program Of road con.
struction with the original outright
apportionment Of $3,564,527, which
was Maryland's share Of the $40O ,O0O,-
600 made for road construction to all
States at the outset OF the public
works program. Ickes was informed
Maryland needed additional Fedora
money for roads through public works
loans and grants. It didn't solve the
matter, however. because as soon AZ
the allotment was made covering the
whole Maryland program, there arose
controversy over the principal Mary.
land roads. Settlement of that con-
troversy resulted in the execution oi
the contract yesterday.
The signing Of the contract makes
possible an estimated 1850 man
months Of direct employment and al
least twice as many hours of indirect
and industrial employment In Mary
land and other States.
Legislation Came December IL.
The Public Works Administration
| allotted this money on December Z
subject to the condition that the State
take the necessary legislative action tC
qualify its plans for P. w. A. accept.
ance. The allotment was made upon
the assurance that this would be done
and the Maryland Legislature enacted
the necessary legislation on Decem-
ber H.
The time that has elapsed since
has been consumed with conferences
c. Ritchie and other State officials
on the form Of the contract. The
contract calls for the money to in
clude a grant of 80 per cent Of the
cost Of labor and materials. The
exact amount Of the grant has not
been calculated, but on the basis OF
data submitted Is estimated at ST.
412,0e0. The rest Of the money will
be loaned at per cent interest. Sc
cured by bonds maturing serially on
L. - annual installments, ending in
80 Projects Included.
There are 80 construction items in
volved. The Philadelphia and Bel Air
roads construction is estimated at 50,
BAL 900. Projects already approved
by p. w. A. engineers, to cost ST.
100000, call for paving between the
car tracks and removal Of center poles
on Connecticut avenue from Chevy
Chase Lake to Bradley Lane; build
ing a highway bridge over the w. B
g. A. Railway tracks at West An
napolis; q bridge over the Chesa-
peake Beach Railway tracks at Seat
Pleasant; bridge across Morgan
Greek in Kent County, between Ches-
tertown and Morgnec; bridge across
the Choptank River at Cambridge: q
bridge over Antietam Creek, on the
road from Hagerstown to Smiths.
burg; paving of six miles Of highway
in Somerset County. running from
Princess Anne to q connection with
the Westover-Pocomoke Highway. and
building four miles of gravel road
from Hermanville toward Ridge ir
st. Marys County. to allow access
to properties fronting on Chesapeake
Bay.
To Widen Wisconsin Avenue.
Other projects approved by P. w. A
! engineers are resurfacing and widen
ing of Wisconsin avenue and removal
OF street car poles from the ole
Georgetown road in Bethesda to the
District Line; widening a three mile
section of the Bel Air road from &c
to 80 feet; building new highway
three miles long. including a bridge
over Dividing Creek to connect POGO
moke with the Snowhin Salisbury
road: building q steel and reinforced
concrete bridge over the chesapeake
Beach Railway at Mount Harmony
Strengthening q road and building 9
new bridge over Deer Creek at Rocks
In Hartford County: a concrete bridge
over branch of the Corsica River al
Centerville; resurfacing the old York
road from Markoe road to Troyel
road in Baltimore County, and con-
struction of q timber jetty 321 feet
long at Ocean City to protect prop
erty and roads.
The contract calls for expenditure
Of at least 1880 900 of the P. w. A
loan money on the Philadelphia road
improvements, at least $500,000 on
the Bel Air road improvements, and at
least 100000 on roads leading to the
Choptank River Bridge or on the
bridge itself The limitation applies
only to the loan money and does not
restrict the grant portion.
Calls for $3S0,000 Yearly.
TO provide funds to repay the loan
the State agrees in the contract to
levy and collect an annual tax con-
sisting Of part Of the license fee
and franchise taxes on trucks and
commercial vehicles in sufficient
amount to insure $780, 900 a year
the amount necessary for interest and
amortization.
If the truck and commercial We
hicle tax is not sufficient. the State,
under the contract, will collect sufn-
cient toll on the Conowingo Bridge,
the Havre De Grace Bridge and the
Choptank River Bridge to make up
the difference.
The Public Works Administration
explained that a Maryland law pro-
vides that bridge tolls to repay the
cost Of road building may be levied
only when q substantial part of the
money to be repaid was spent on
building main roads leading to the
bridge on which the tolls are COL
lected. This was given as the reason
for the stipulation for the expenditure
Of definite sums on roads leading to
the free bridges. including the Bel Air
road and the Philadelphia road and
on the roads leading to the O1optank