Pe.
Bellefonte, Pa., October 24, 1913.
—_—
Reasons Given by Some Per-.
sons for Opposing the Bonds
Are Clearly Insufficient
3
Curiously enough, a long proportion .
of the objections raised by those who |
are opposing the constitutional |
amendment providing the money to |
build roads, are based on fears of |
the possibilities of “graft.” While
this phase of the road subject has not |
the remotest connection with or rela- |
tion to the constitutional amendment, |
it is so frequently brought into the
discussion that it is proper to comn-
sider it.
It can be readily seen by any intel |
ligent person that the carrying of the
constitutional amendment or other-
wise can make no difference in the |
honesty or dishonesty of men. Under i
the law, unless it should be repealed ' Dear Sir:--In compliance with your Practices. It sounds like the voice of
in 1915, the roads must be built, and | request, 1 enclose herewith a state- | 2 human being who is suffering terri-
the State of Pennsylvania must build !
them. Whether the money be raised |
by the issue of bonds, or whether |
the Legislature will find itself obliged |
to levy a direct tax on real estate |
or other property to get the money, |
as was just done in Ohio after the
defeat of a similar amendment, the |
same question will be raised by the |
same unthinking people. |
The question is really one of ad- |
ministration and not one of finance, |
but it should not be evaded in fair!
ness to the situation as a whole.
At a recent good roads meeting at |
Gettysburg the question was asked,
“Why did the State aid road leading |
into this borough cost $4,000 a mile !
more than the government built roads !
of the same width and type on the!
Gettysburg battlefield, and why is the |
State aid road nearly worn out while
the national roads are in good con-|
dition.” i
The answer is very simple. Because, |
first; most of the roads on the battle- |
field were constructed with but slight |
excavations and fills; the State aid!
road, on the contrary required much
grading, involving in one place a
heavy cut, and for a stretch of nearly |
a mile, across low ground, the road-
bed was raised three or four feet,
necessitating the moving of a vast
amount of earth and stone.
Second; the State road was in all
respects heavier and better built than
the battlefield roads. Owing to the
contour of the land surface, it took
& much greater amount of labor to
secure a good foundation, and the
road was built to stand heavier traf-
fic than were the parkways through
the battlefield. If the same amount
of traffic considering both number
and weight of vehicles and loads,
width of tires, and speed of travel,
had passed over the parkways as has
been carried by the State a#l high-
way, they would in all probability
have been cut to pieces in six months.
While the battlefield roads have
been in use a number of years they
have been kept in a constant state
of the very best repair by govern-
ment employes, and have never been
permitted to become worn or rutted,
speed is restricted to a very slow
pace; and heavy loads are kept off.
Little wonder that under such cir-
cumstances the roads should remain
in good condition.
On the other hand, the so-called
Btate road was built under the State
aid law. The State paying three-
quarters, and the township and coun-
ty each one-eighth of the cost, and
the road was turned over to the town-
ship to maintain.
It is claimed that since the road
was built not a single dollar has been
spent on it for maintenance. The
macadam is now worn down to the
lower course and it needs resurfacing,
but, except for the actual wear,
caused by the heavy horse-drawn and
motor-driven vehicles, and the high
speed of some of the latter, it is still
a good road, and is a credit both to
the department which designed it and
the contractor who built it. With all
the wear and stress to which it has
been subjected, and without a dollar's
worth of repair or maintenance in
the five years of its existence, the
whole stretch of road is hard and
fairly smooth. There is not a raveled
spot in it a square yard in extent;
and whatever damage the road has
suffered is due to absolute neglect.
Possibly many other similar cases
throughout the State may be found.
Macadam roads require maintenance
or they will deteriorate as will any-
thing else that is subject to wear.
would not now need resurfacing, and
the top layer of stone would not have
|
|
‘some enemies of the
| the statement furnished to the chair
Ip
CONTRARY
Nothing Available for Maintenance of
State Highways—Every Cent of
Legislative Appropriation Specific |
ally Made for Other Purposes. !
The statement has Deen made by
Good Roads
movement that the stopping of work
on the State highways is not due
to a lack of funds, but because the
Highway Department wants to force
people to vote for the loan. The
falsity of this is clearly shown by
man of the State Good Roads Com-
mittee by the Highway Department,
which conclusively shows that there
is not one dollar available for the
maintenance of State roads for the |
balance of this year. The statement |
of the Department which is beyond i
contradiction is as follows: |
State Highway Department, i
Harrisburg, October 6, 1913,
Mr. J. H. Weeks, Chairman,
State Good Roads Committee,
Philadelphia, Pa. |
ment of the various appropriations |
due this Department and the specific
urposes for which they are available, |
It plainly shows that no money is
available at this time for the main- |
tenance and repair of State Highway .
routes. |
Very truly yours, i
S. D. FOSTER,
Chief Engineer. |
The following are the specific ap- |
propriations:
State Highway Fund—$638,016.68— |
Records in the Auditor General's |
office will show that this amount is |
entirely wiped out by contracts at |
present in force. !
State-aid Maintenance Fund—$494,
257.97—is appropriated for the main- I
tenance of State-aid roads and the
Auditor General, in an opinion to |
this Department, stated that this |
appropriation must be spent in the
repair of State-aid highways, not |
forming a part of “State Highway |
routes.” :
Salary and Expense, Departmental—
$309,970—is appropriated for the
payment of the salaries and ex- |
penses of the employes of the
Highway Department. !
Maintenance Fund—$370,382—appro- |
priated for maintenance against
which are unpaid bills for material
and equipment, unpaid pay-rolls,
and requisitions. which have not |
been vouchered to the extent of |
about $225,000. $96,183.32 for the |
payment of maintenance salary and !
expense is available only for the ;
payment of salaries and expenses |
of the employes of the Maintenance |
Division. i
State-aid Highway Fund—$1,349,064—
is specifically for and is rateably
apportioned among the several
counties of the Commonwealth ac-
cording to the mileage of the town-
ship and county roads in the re-
spective counties, and is available
only when applied for by the afore-
said townships and counties, pone
of which is available for repairs or
maintenance.
National Road Fund—$56,684.96—is
entirely wiped out by contracts on
file in the Auditor General's office.
Traveling Expense Fund—$110,236.12;
Experiments and Tests Fund, $45,
597.30; Contingent Fund, $69,879.84;
Expense Fund, Automobile Division,
$145,554.59, and Departmental sal-
aries for map work, county surveys
and estimates, $303,374.98—are all
appropriations made for specific
purposes and are not available for
road construction or maintenance,
and the Auditor General would not
honor a voucher drawn on any of
them for such purpose.
ADMINISTRATION OF HIGHWAY
FUND IN PEOPLE'S HANDS
The State Grange officials who op-
pose the state loan for good roads
for - the present administration fear
that a new administration will not
properly handle the Highway Depart.
ment. For years the Grange Las been
a strong advocate for the initiative,
referendum and recall as the great
cure for all political evils. In as
much as the people next year elect
a new Governor who appoints a new
Highway Department, also a new
nee of Representatives and half
Senate, the State Grange officials
must explain why they think the
voters of the State are incompetent
to do this. If they are not competent
now when does the Grange think
they will be competent to exercise
the initiative, referendum and recall?
CREASY ADVOCATED STATE
ROADS PLAN IN 1903
William T. Creasy in 1903, in the
House of Representatives, favored a
system of roads
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REPORTS FALSE |
| “The violin resembles the human
| voice.”
“Yes. [ notice that when my son
Hood's Sarsaparilla.
pn th clock bs topped sou my
ve wife or i .
up and shakeit to start it sguin. ‘Some | PUTify Your Blood
| times they succeed. Some Witle clogging
particié 8 yemoved by the shock the
clock starts again. But it does not go 7id of humors, boils. pimples,
very long before it runs down. Another that feeling,
shock perhaps starts it, but the clock Build up your nerves,
Soon stops again, and presently has to be Have icireshing slee d
overha by the clock doctor. It's By taking the true blood tonic.
something the same way with the liver.
It stops its useful and necessary offices, HOOD'S SARSAPARILLA
oe mes, dnd the i SE ah Prepared Lowell
to t into wi
some powerful or potion. a Mass over § opr, FEperencs in ak
Shey succeed, t the success does os jasdicihes-- rh Hood lta
Hardware.
Wonderful Resemblance,
bly."—~Washington Star. h
Corroboration
OF INTEREST TO BELLEFONTE READERS, Dockash
For months Bellefonte citizens have .
58-1
Mrs. John Andress, 245 S. ing St., —
Bellefonte, Pa., savs: “1 willingl
firm the ic statemen
= .Cabinet Dockash..
Quality First
The short story of a Cabinet
Let us show them|[to you.
Olewines Hardware
Waverly Oils.
Kid
A
at Green's oe
when suffering from and severe
pains in my hs, abd it brought prompt
38d Dertanent * of her of my
ly was also cu of kidney trou
by Doan's Kidney i
Mrs. Andress is only one of many Belle.
endors-
fonte people who have gratefully
ed Doan's Kidney Pills, If your back-
athensit Sour r you, don’t
simply forak dis-
tinct; Doan’s Kidney Pills, the same
vs. imon; he all
stores.
Foster-Milburn Con Props... Buffals,
. our Back is Lame—Remem-
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Pittsburgh,
57-46
Yeager’s Shoe Store
“FITZEZY”
The
Ladies’ Shoe
that
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Sold only at
Yeager’s Shoe"Store,
Bush Arcade Building,
58-27
BELLEFONTE, FA.
Stop the Leaks. body of strength with every day. That's
— what Dr. Pierce's Favorite Prescription
If a ship springs a leak it would be a | does. It stops the drains which weaken
foolish captain who would crowd on sail | women. It regulates the periods, heals
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frst thing to 404s 0 Stop the led. or lcuale weakness. When the local health
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danger. Be the drains which affect | women find an improvement in their
some women in the same light as the general health at once. There is no
RR is 0 ane fo Sse stigiulants aud seed for tonics of stimulants. eh
as carry you a NO More Nervousness. who
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58-4
The Pennsylvania State College.
The : Pennsylvania : State : College
EDWIN ERLE SPARKS, Ph.D., L.L. D., PRESIDENT.
Established and maintained the joint action of the United States Government and the
FIVE GREAT SCHOOLS—Agriculture, Engineering, Liberal Arts,
Mining, and Natural Science, offering thirty-six courses of four years
imi Industrial
each—Also courses in Home cs, Art and Physical
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First semester bepine middle of September; second gemestor the frst
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57-26 THE REGISTRAR, State College, Pennsylvania.
Gasoline Engines.
Jacobson Gasoline Engine
For all Power Purposes.
THE BELLEFONTE ENGINEERING COMPANY
stands back of these machines and tees them to
St Saran ge
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