Show Estimated Expense for Road Maintenance High When highways spend money for maintenance the sales ot of road ma ma- and equipment finds an expanded ex ex- market Engineering Record News points out that expenditures for tor highway maintenance maintenance main main- are reachIng huge proportions Some of at tile the older eastern states already already al- al ready spend more annually for upkeep ot of old roads than they do for buildIng building build build- Ing of new v roads Throughout the country the practice practice tice Is the reverse The Thc vast majority of states have only begun the con con- of the Improved roads whIch traffic requires TheIr construction account looms large not only In actual figures but In the concern and consideration consid- consid ot of the people These facts have served to overshadow In public thought the growing ma magnitude ot of tile the public road maintenance business It ItIs Itis Is growIng up unobserved Excluding Interest on funded debt for Cor road construction about 40 per percent percent cent ot of the present expendItures tor highways Is for maIntenance This percentage is based on the latest complete com com- records of 19 1922 2 They are worth noting to the bureau of public roads the highway expenditures for tor 1922 were for construction construction tion and for maintenance About 30 per cent of at all maintenance expenditures are for the miles ot of system state highways which are less than 8 per cent of the total mileage mile mile- age ot of all highways The point to be given attention however how how- ever ever does not lie lle In refinement ot of analysts analysis which the general figures available do not justify but In the magnitude of at the total maintenance expendIture This puts highway upkeep upkeep up- up keep among big business operations |