Show Estimate on Upkeep of State Roads Submitted S Minimum requirements to match federal aid in construction and the adequate maintenance of at state highways highways highways high high- ways on the federal road system are placed at by B B. B J. J Finch district engineer of the bureau of public roads in a statement furnished furn furn- furnished to the state tax and state road commission The officials of the district office of the bureau of public public public pub pub- lic roads believes that such a sum Bum available annually would be bo adequate adequate adequate ade ade- quate to meet the federal aid available avail avail- table able for new construction in Utah and meet the federal requirements on under the federal high highway way act The text of Mr Finch's statement follows lilt It would appear that the work of the state t Je h. h highway 1 way department maybe may maybe maye be e gro grouped ped un under er three headings heading First the overhead covering covering expenses ex expenses ex ex- of the Salt Lake office eec cec- ec- ec ond the construction fund for the construction of new roads and third the fund for lor the maintenance maintenance maintenance nance of ot state highways Under the first heading of overhead overhead overhead over over- head would come all the expense in incurred Incurred Incurred In- In by the Salt Lake office In t the Hie 1 e management of the worK worn of a construction tion and maintenance Under the head would co come e all construction tion work done on state 11 Under the third head would be grouped the maintenance of or state highways it being de deemed med necessary ry that the state exercise Ion over the maintenance of all 11 roads designated as state highways Wages Estimated is Overhead Little information available as to Ita the necessary amount of or overhead expense nut But a rough computation of the known salaries and expenses would indicate t that this 1 amount mount should be at least yeast I Iper per annum Construction Based asea on an appropriation appropriation appropriation ap ap- of per year year- for tor federal aid It would appear that the state would require about their share per annum to match of ot the federal aid on me existing basis of 74 This amount of with the approximate amount of federal al all ail t would give the state a very comfortable comfortable comfortable com com- construction fund If It the federal aid should cease the we U O- O would be a very small amount for the construction construction con con- for the state tate to expend that of new highways so considered as es esthe this may be the minimum desirable amount for construction Maintenance Records of this state roads road office show a mileage of in the state of Utah of Slight- Slight deductions for business expenses Income is gross income less certain who explained t that net Anderson over 50 60 per per cent of this amount or state highway Is in included included included in- in 1650 1660 miles miles' of In the federal federa highway system system tem submitted by the state If we and consider that the state highways assume the mileage coat or per would have a total to total total to- to mile per year we tal amount necessary of approximately approximate approximate- state was was' to as assume assume assume as- as If It tho the ly sume merely the maintenance of recommended to bo be Included included In in- In Included those roads federal highway system system In the tem tern and assume the tho cost cast at per would have a total mile per year we necessary amount of So I that it may be said that the j nance required for the state based based on the assumptions above would be b j jeither either or depending de- de deb dei pending on the responsibility for maintenance placed upon the stat state Responsibility Placed There ere are several reasons which might be advanced for placing the entire responsibility for maintenance of state roads on the state First the fact that many of or the outlying counties have so small a valuation that they are unable to raise sufficient sufficient sufficient funds within the limit allowed by law to maintain the state roads in their counties in a proper condi- condi U n the second is that when construction of a state road is first considered the county immediately drops all aJL work the road In many case becoming b before be before I fore the actually begins be be be- gins The first reason that of Inability of outlying counties to maintain their state highways Is related di directly directly dl- dl to the use made of those highways highways highways high high- ways by residents of other parts of the state For instance It Is likely that the roads toads of Summit county when constructed will wUl be used more extensively by r residents of Salt Lake county than of Summit county This same condition will apply to roads In Wasatch Millard Iron Washington Washing Washing- ton and In fact to nearly all the outlying outlying outlying out out- There Is rean rea- rea lying counties every n n to believe that a a. proper distribution distribution distribution distri distri- of the cost of maintenance will place the burden on the state asa as asa a whole rather than on the individual al counties counties' With regard to the desirability of state control of the funds mentioned mentioned mentioned men men- above I r would quote from the red federal ral act approved June 19 1922 which reads as follo follows s I Section 7 That before any project shall be approved by the secretary secretary secretary sec sec- of agriculture for any state for forstate forstate forstate such state shall make provision state funds required each year of ot such states by this act act for construction construction construction tion reconstruction and maintenance maintenance maintenance tion r nance of ot federal aid highways within the state which funds shall be under under under un un- der the direct of tho the state highway department |