Jasper County Democrat, Volume 21, Number 101, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 March 1919 — GENERAL AND STATE NEWS [ARTICLE]

GENERAL AND STATE NEWS

Telegraphic Reports From Many Parts ot the Conntry. SHORT BITS OF THE UNUSUAL Happenings in the Nearby Cities arvl Town*—Mattdra of Minor Mention From Many Places, HIGHWAY PROGRAM IN SIGHT By Matchim; Federal Money, State May FxpFn<l Huge Bum Soon. Indiana now is ready to carry out a great program of road construction under the state highway commission and county unit road laws which were enacted by the recent legislature and which contain emergency clauses. If Indiana matches all the federal aid money aval able uip to and including 1921, almost $15,000,000 will be expended on state highways in three years. How -much will be expended under the county unit law and the old three-mile road law, It would be difficult to estimate, although it is believed that the amount will greatly exceed that which will be expended under, the direction of the state highway commission. In 1914, before the war put a check on bond issues, about SB,000,000 was expended in the state under the three-mile road law. In many cases it is believed that the county unit law will be used instead of the three-mile road law. t Under the county unit road law, Ibonds may be Issued up to 2 per cent of the assessed- valuation, while under the three-mile road law the bonding limit is 4 per cent. Under the new tax law, however, all bond issues must be approved by the state board of tax commissioners, unless an issue is for $50,000 or more, and in the event the state board of tax commissioners disapproves such an issue, its decision may be overthrown by a referendum vote of a taxing district. This power of the state board of tax commissioners may operate to place a check on extravagant or ill-considered road projects under the county unit or three-mile ■road laws. The state tax board may, if it chooses, refuse to approve a bond issue under either of these laws, even if the issue is within the 2 and 4 per cent limit. I/The state tax board also has power “to finally determine all tax levies of the state,’’ and this power will affect the road program, inasmuch as road construction leads to tax levies. The new state highway commission law provides for a levy of 10 cents on the SIOO for the state highway commission fund, but if the assessed value of property in the state is doubled under the new law, the state highway tax rate might be reduced proportionately, which would be a reduction to 5 cents on the SIOO. It will be for the state board of tax commissioners to decide. It is understood that generally the policy will be to carry out the legislative intent, its expressed in tax levies or bond issue limits authorized. The old state highway commission went out of office with the enactment of the new law. The governor has not yet appointed the new commission, though action is expected shortly. The new commission will consist of four members, dfciot more than two of any one political party. The commission will ehoose a director and fix his salary. The director, with the approval of the commission, will choose the chief engineer and others. There already has been discussion of the make-up of the new commission. It is reported that the state senators of the district composed of the Ist, 2d and 3d congressional districts have indorsed Thomas Taggart as a Democratic member of the commission. The old state highway commission had a number of projects approved and ready for advertisement for bids when the law was attacked in the courts, and it is supposed that the new commission will revive those projects. Two of the projects were in Marlon county, 'one the National road west and the , /• ' ' A ■*

other the range line road north. There la available for state highway construction In Indiana $2,163,392.44 of federal aid money, which under the fifty-flfty federal law must be matched by the state. By, June 30 of this year tnere will be available $539,967.76 more of federal aid money. It is not believed that the state can use all of this money this year, but the sura not used will remain to the credit of the state. The state funds available this year will amount to about $2,000,000. They are made up as follows: Inheritance taxes accumulated $ 796,766.21 Unused appropriation for 1917 100,000.00 Unused appropriation for 1918 500,000.00 Inheritance taxes this year, about 500,000.00 Total ’.51,896,766.21 By the end of 1919 the amount of state money for state highway construction will be almost $2,000,- t 000. ’

Up to and including 1921, there will be available for Indiana a tout of $7,428,078.10 fromi the federal government. This amount includes accumulations up to the. ipresent time. If Indiana should match this, the total sum for state highways to the end of 1921 would be almost $15,000,000. Under a law recently enacted by the congress Indiana will receive materials and supplies useful Ln load construction. The law provides the secretary of war shall transfer to the secretary of agriculture “all available war materials, equipment and supplies not needed for the purposes of the department’’ They are to be distributed as the federal aid road money is distributed. Under this plan Indiana receives about 3 per cent of the total appropriated by the congress for federal aid in road construction.

L. H. Wright, former state highway commissioner, who is lopking after the state highway office until the new commission is appointed, received a telegram today from Captain Wilson of the bureau of roads, deipartment of agriculture, asking him to “please wire kinds and quantities of material, equipment and supplies 1 ' Indiana can use Ini road construction. It appears that the materials, equipment and supplies are to be distributed to the states without cost to them. The new commission will decide what it can use. Mr. Wright understands that-a part of the equipment will be automobile trucks. The new state highway commission is to lay out a plan of state highways connecting every county seat and every town of 5,000 population or more. Senator Luke Duffey, who has taken a deep Interest in road legislation, calculates that the system laid out will five about 32 miles of state highway to a county. In most cases the state will cross the counties from east to west and north to south. It is supposed that after the state highway commission has laid out the system, the county authorities will plan roads under the county unit plan that will run between the state highway roads. In the future there will be great activity over the state in preparing to show the state highway commission that it should include certain roads or routes in the system to be laid out. A public meet- - Ing will be held at Roachdale next Wednesday night to consider a state highway from Greencastle to Crawfordsville. Senator Duffey has been asked to address the meeting. It is reported that George Chaney of Indianapolis is an aspirant for the office chief engineer of the state highway commission. Under the law the commission will choose a director and the director with the approval of the commission, will choose the engineer.—lndianapolis News.