Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 106, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 May 1919 — ENTHUSIASTIC ROAD MEETING [ARTICLE]

ENTHUSIASTIC ROAD MEETING

PROMINENT CITIZENS HEAR DIRECTOR WRIGHT OF STATE HIGHWAY COMMISSION. ' There were a large number of the influential men of the county present Monday evening at the meeting held in the court house room in this city to hear L. H. Wright, the director of the state highway commission, discuss the new state highway law and its operation. Among those present were a number of influential men from Remington and Carpenter township. Representative W. L, Wood presided at the meeting and introduced the speaker of the evening, Director L. *H. Wright, of Indianapolis. The address of the director was an explanation of the four laws passed by the 1919 Indiana legislature. —These laws were: —_ 1. The state highway commission. 2. County Unit law. 3. Tax law. 4. Beardsley law. Director Wright said that the state* highway law passed by the 1917 legislature and which was later held as constitutional by the supreme court of the state was passed in order that Indiana might receive federal aid in the construction of a system of highways. Indiana had been slow to accept federal aid in the construction of highways. He regarded the 1919 highway laws much better than the 1917 act. Both laws provided for the dividing the county into four districts with a commission in each district. This commission selects a director, and Mr.* Wright who served under the old law has been selected to serve under the 1919 act. The director selects three heads to take care of the different phases’of the work. These phases are construction, maintainence and auditing. Under the 1917 act but eight hundred miles of road were contemplated. The 1919 act contemplates the construction of about three thousand, five hundred miles, which must connect all county seats and also all cities of over five thousand poplation. This system must be laid out by April 1, 1920 and after the road have been designated they at once become a part of the state highway system and are to be maintained by the Indiana has about 63,000 miles of roads, while the state will take over but five per cent, of these roads, yet these being the main traveled roads, the per cent, of up keep taken off of the local corporation will amount ,to something like a reduction of from 25 to 50 per cent.

Director Wright is of the opinion that this system of 3,500 miles can be constructed in eight years. An attempt will be made to build one hundred miles this yepr, after this year he thinks siat as much as four hundred miles can be constructed per year. , It is his idea that the roads in the worst condition should’ be built first. IThe following means for the raising of funds for the state’s part of this work is as follows: 1. Inheritance tax, which it is estimated will amount to $500,000. 2. Automobile license tax, which in 1920 and thereafter will amount to about $2,500,000. 3. A direct state tax of 10 cents, which under the new appraisement will amount to about $6,000,000 per year. The director discussed the kind of roads to be constructed. He did not express a preference. They are brick, concrete and asphaltum. Conthe material to be selected. Director Wright discussed the County, Unit Law passed by the 1919 legislature. It was the original purpose t<s bf that law to do away with township roads. He says that it was unfortunate that one or two amendments had failed to be made to this law but that it has been straightened out and would result in the building of many miles of road that could not be built without the law and he thought that better roads would be built under this law. He urged the people of the county to get together and plan the improvement of those roads which are most needed at the present time. The roads constructed under the County Unit Law will have more efficient supervision and will therefore be better roads. There are’ three checks on the ov-er-taxing for road construction under the county unit law. The county commissioners, the county council and the state tax commision. Under the new tax law the state tax commission must pass upon all municipal bonds issued. The road constructed under the County Unit Law cannot create a bonded indebtness to exceed two per cent, of the taxable property of the county. 7 Under the Beardsley law all read 4 tax mustTbe paid in cash. Under old law this tax could be-worked out on the roads. / Director Wright answered a number of very important questions which developed the fact that’ if Jasper I county is to get a state highway from the south to the north . boundaries the people of the county must get • busy and co-operate with Crown Point, otherwise there is danger that a route west of us may be selected. The route through this county has an advantage which Director Wright ( Considered as very important, and 'that is the item of* distance. An In-

dianapolis to Chicago road constructed would be several miles shorter if it passes through this county than if it were built on roads west of this county; A committee to look after this and other highway interests of the county was appointed and they should have the hearty co-operation of every progressive citizen of the county The laws may not be perfect but they have been written and the proposition now is to get the greatest amount of-benefit from them. There should be no division of any kind or sort. Let everybody boost and get back of this committee an J pull together and pull hard and pull now. The committee* selected are the following men who represent the difthey are not providing the funds. There Washburn, H. W. Marble, C. W. Hanley, Ed. Nesbitt, F. E. Babcock, C. G. Spitler and J. S. L. Gray.