Jasper County Democrat, Volume 23, Number 26, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 June 1920 — $26,000,000 FOR STATE ROADS [ARTICLE]

$26,000,000 FOR STATE ROADS

Building of 500 Miles of Roadway Contemplated in 1921. A 1921 state highway program to cost between $26,000,000 and $30,000,000 is contemplated by the state highway commission, according to L. H. Wright, director of' the department. This program is contemn plated despite the feeling in some quarters that because of the high cost of material and other conditions this is no time to pmnge so heavily into this form of public improvement. The huge sum will provide for the paving of approximately 500 miles of roads, the building of many bridges, the maintenance of approximately 3,500 miles of roads in the state highway system and the overhead of the department, Mr. Wright estimates. The commission’s bill, now being prepared for the special session of the legislature, will ask for a state highway levy of 30 cents on each SIOO of assessed valuation in the state. Mr. Wright estimates that on the anticipated $6,000,000,000 state total assessed valuation of this year the levy would produce $lB,000,000 revenue for the department. He estimated that to the direct tax would be added $5,000,000, the maximum amount the department may obtain from the federal government for road building next year. From the inheritance tax $500,000 is anticipated and the automobile license department will add at least $2,500,000, according to. present estimates. , The total thus available for the department next year would be $26,000,000. This may be increased $2,500,000 by the proposed doubling of the state automobile license feety but, Mr. Wright said, the state highway commission does not propose tb ask the legislature to double the fees, although, he said, such a bill may be introduced at the special session by others. Mr. Wright estimated that the maintenance department would spend about $3,000,000 or more, and that the maintenance and overhead would about consume the combined automobile license receipts and inheritance tax collections. He figured that this would leave approximately $22,000,000 out of the $26,000,000 for road and bridge building. < “Of course, these are rough esti-

mates,” Mr. Wright said. "We could build probably 500 or more miles ot improved and paved roads. Our present cost is averaging about $37,000 a mile. We would have the remainder to build bridges and more miles of roads."