Jasper County Democrat, Volume 22, Number 1, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 April 1919 — THE NEW STATE HIGHWAY LAW [ARTICLE]

THE NEW STATE HIGHWAY LAW

Why It Is Necessary to Have State and 'County Unit Rond Law. The people of the state of Indiana in their effort to improve the •highways have built and improved roads in every section of this state. They have cheerfully paid the expense and made it possible for the tourists of every section of the country to enjoy the fruits of their labor. These roads were partially constructed before the day of the motor vehicle, and were buijded for the horse and buggy and the farmer’s wagon. We find that we are entering a horseless age, that motor vehicles and mammoth motor trucks are touring our state from east to west and north to south. We find that our townships are bonded to the limit in many instances and our roads can no longer accommodate the purposes for which they were made and 1 stand the wear of the motor vehicle that hails from every state in the Union. Therefore, it is necessary that the states that use O'Ur roads should help pay the cost of construction and the cost of maintenance. To this end the United States government has agreed to appropriate a sum of money equal to the amount that the state of Indiana will appropriate for the purpose of building and maintaining 'permanent market highways throughout our state. Pursuant to this agreement the seventy-first general assembly enacted the state highway law, which we believe to be a step in the right direction to give Indiana the assistance that is due her in order that she may be relieved from the individual heavy burden of taxation necessary to build and maintain permanent highways. 1 The cost of the present public thoroughfares have been borne and paid by the different township and municipal corporations. This has become such a burden that it is necessary to enlarge the unit. While the state has found it a burden, the thousand townships of Indiana have found it a jnuch greater burden to construct the roads from" the proceeds of t-ieir taxable property. Therefore, it was considered a wise conclusion to pass <’. county unit Jaw in order that the county as a whole might bear the expense of constructing and maintaining roads

and thus relieve the Individual township of this burden. We feel that this is right and will be an equitable distribution of taxation; by enlarging the unit it will coat lead per cwplt* to the Individual. This will assist us in connecting the mala market highways that will be constructed by the state and national government, and in the next few years will find us with permanent roads and a lower rate of taxes for their construction and maintenance. Jasper county is entitled to her portion of the support that she may get from the state and national government. —By Representative W. L. Wood.