Milford chronicle., 1955-05-13
Pennsylvania Youth Wins
Highway Board
Contest.
CONTINUED from page one)

Continued from page one)
and the farm economy. His study
of highway records revealed that
there are 385 such spans in the state
which have more than a 20foot
span.
Without the three bridges over
the Chesapeake Delaware Canal"
he wrote, travel between the north
ern and southern parts of the state
would be impossible. The impor-
lance of the bridges was demon
strated few years ago when the
st. Georges Bridge was destroyed
by collision of freighter."
Bakers study also came up with
the following observations on Del
aware Memorial Bridge particular
ly.
while aiding in the solution of
many of Delaware's (traffic) prob
lens the bridge has created some
new ones. There has been a tre-
mendous increase in the volume of
traffic in northern Delaware so that
the present roads will not handle
traffic efficiently. To build the ade-
quate approach roads, which are
essential to the bridge, will be very
costly.
AS the law exists none of the
excess money from the bridge tolls
can be used on the roads. At the
present rate the bridge will be paid
for by 1860, after which the state
will be responsible for maintaining
the bridge With the proper State
and Federal legislation, it would be
possible to continue the toll charge
al the bridge in order to finance the
construction of costly approach
roads. In pressing such legislation,
Delaware would not be setting
precedent.
THE Port Authority of Philadel-
phia and New Jersey obtained auth
crization to continue tolls on the
Delaware River bridge at Philadel-
phia in order to finance the con-
struction of an additional bridge.
Ii the proper legislation was pass
ed allowing this additional source
of income to be used for building
approach roads, then Delaware's
taxable income could be devoted to
the state highways. That would
mean a greater amount of money
would be available for roads in
Kent and Sussex Counties"
Baker further pointed out that a
good agricultural economy is de-
pendent upon a thriving Industrial
economy There is good distribu-
tion," he said, "of agriculture and
D.l 70 OF 10
County is considered to be mainly
industrial but there are a good
many farms there also. Sussex
County is classified as agricultural,
but is also the site of some large
manufacturing plants. In 1853 Del
aware had an increase in cash
farm income of about two per cent
compared with a decrease of four
per cent for the nation
Attention was also called to the
fact that fluid milk production re-
Quires good roads. The road is a
prime factor in transporting milk
from farm to central collection
point, in shipment of quantities to
distant markets, and in local house
toulouse distribution. With the COM
ing prdcI1Ce OF TANK TRUCK cOlieC-
tion of milk at the farms, the farm
roads must be able to sustain these
trucks and their loads throughout
the entire year"
In summarizing his findings,
which tend to prove that the state
highway system is generally good
and improving each day, Baker had
this to say.
"Good roads give the people of
the State a feeling of unity and
well being. The city Delawarean
may travel through the state and
look upon the farmland with pride
as he realizes the basic importance
of agriculture. With good roads the
farm family is able to travel some
distance where a renowned speaker
or a concert is appearing. These
contributions of the highways are
present every day in addition to the
more common task of making pos
sible the movement of supplies to
the farm and farm products to the
markets"