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Show HISTORY OF THE STATE ROAD COMMISSION OF UTAH 1909 - 1939 By V. H. RICHARDS, Statistical Engineer (Continued from La3t Week) to levy for State road purposes a-tai a-tai not In exces3 of five mills and two mills respectively. The State road building fund became the State road fund, that is to say the State's activities ceased to be limited to construction only and the commission was given a measure meas-ure of control over maintenance. However, the commission could not require a county to-raise more than jthe contributing proportion of the State's appropriation, and while the counties in general raised much greater amounts, there was often delay in making payments to the State treasury. This seriously hampered ham-pered the activities of the commission commis-sion throughout the period of local cooperation and the statutes are replete with punitive provisions more or less impracticable In their operation and some of doubtful legality. In the counties of low assessed valuation highway Improvement Im-provement was necessarily slow and maintenance was Inadequate. In 1917 another bond Issue In the amount of $2,000,000 was authorized, au-thorized, the proceeds to be expended ex-pended by the commission "upon such roads and bridges as by It deemed best." The bond3 were of the sinking fund type, twenty-year term, and financed from the motor vehicle registration fund. Into this fund was paid all receipts from administration ad-ministration of the motor vehicle registration law and from this time receipts from this source ceased to be available for current expenditures expendi-tures of the road commission, except ex-cept as to occasional appropriations therefrom by the legislature. The law relative to the State appropriation appropria-tion of $100,800 for roads continued in force and. In fact, was restated in the laws of 1917, but the appropriation appro-priation from the general fund was never made after 1916, and the law was finally repealed In 1929 at the Instance of the legislative code ,commls,slon. In 1917 the legislature legisla-ture accepted the provisions of the Federal-aid road act and empowered empow-ered the road commission to select the projects and make such disposition dis-position of the funds accruing to the State as. In its judgment, seemed best. The commission has received from time to time donations from associations or individuals for highway high-way construction, notably $125,000 in 1918 and $50,000 in 1933 for construction con-struction on specified trans-continental routes. In addition railroads rail-roads and other utilities have cooperated In construction costs, particularly with reference to railroad rail-road grade crossing elimination or protection. In 1919 a bond issue of $4,000,000 wa3 authorized upon the same basis, and for the same general purpoess as the 1917 Issue although as previously stated the legislature designated the State highways and reduced the total mileage. The maximum county levy for State road purposes was reduced to three mill3 upon all assessable property in the county, but with a continuation continua-tion of the proviso that any county might appropriate any additional moneys available, for use In the county by the State road commission. commis-sion. The law authorizing a poll tax for road purposes was repealed. The legislature of 1921 found the State heavily obligated for construction con-struction contracts and the proceeds pro-ceeds from the 1919 bond Issue nearly exhausted. Also it was found that although more than $3,-000,000 $3,-000,000 had been apportioned to the State from Federal-aid funds subsequent sub-sequent to 191G, only some $200,000 thereof had been paid into the State treasury, and that there was some danger that the greater part of these apportionments would lapse. In consequence another bond issue was authorized, the last to date, In the amount of $1,000,000 of the same type as the preceding issues and serviced, like the issues of 1917 and 1919, from the motor vehicle registration fund. The same general authorization was also made as to expenditure. The newly created appointive form of commission was authorized to pay its administrative and contingent expenses from the State road fund. A memorial to Congress urged the enactment of pending Federal legislation leg-islation which would reduce the proportionate contributing amounts required of the public land States in Federal-aid construction, and also grant an extension of time for absorption of Federal apportionments. apportion-ments. These, and other beneficial changes in the Federal statute, of vital importance to Utah and other Western States, were accomplished accom-plished by the amendment approved November 11, 1921, known a3 the Federal Highway Act. Under its provisions the ratio of Federal participation in Utah projects costing cost-ing not to exceed $40,000 per mile was increased from 50 percent to 74 percent. The amendment provided pro-vided also for the designation of a correlated system of interstate highways and for the improvement thereof as a definite objective in Federal-State cooperation. The limiting Federal-aid mileage in Utah, originally fixed as 1684 miles, or seven percent of the mileage of public highways, has been increased in-creased through operation of Federal Fed-eral laws to 2316 miles as of June 30, 1940. (2) (To Be Continued) The laws designating the existing exist-ing system of State road3 are Chapter 37, Law3 of 1935, as amended amend-ed by Chapter 47, Laws of 1939: and see also an expansion of the powers of the road commission with respect to desiirnation, Chapter Chap-ter 49, Laws of 1939, wherein an thorlty la given to designate roads to State institutions and also to recreational areas adjacent to designated des-ignated State highways. Administrative Function " f and Income The development of the administrative adminis-trative function of the road commission com-mission and the corresponding decline In the measure of cooperation coopera-tion required of local authorities are intimately connected with the history of the funds made available avail-able for State highway purposes. The act of 1909 appropriated the sum of $27,000, annually, from the State general fund to be set apart as a State road building fund for cooperation with the counties In State highway construction. This provided the commission with the sum of $1,000 each for construction in each of the 27 counties then In existence. Counties with an assessed as-sessed valuation of less than $2,-000,000 $2,-000,000 were to duplicate one-fourth of their share of the State appropriation; appro-priation; those with assessed valuation valu-ation between $2,000,000 and $4.-000,000 $4.-000,000 were to duplicate one-half, and those with greater assessed valuation the full amount of their apportionment. Counties were authorized au-thorized to contribute any additional addi-tional amounts of moneys available for road purposes and also to levy a tax of not to exceed five mills In each precinct in which the road commission should designate construction con-struction projects. The commission commis-sion was empowered to award contracts con-tracts for construction. The counties coun-ties retained control of the funds designated by them for State road purposes, and disbursed same by warrant to contractors or employees em-ployees as work progressed, and a like procedure was followed by the commission with respect to the funds subject to its disposition; the commission crediting the counties coun-ties on Its books for the State road funds expended by them. The roads were maintained by and at the expense ex-pense of the counties from county road funds and no report of such costs was made to the road commission. com-mission. No specific provision was made in the original act for paying the travelling or other necessary expenses of the commission or for hiring engineering or clerical assistance. as-sistance. However, there was also enacted In 1909 the first motor vehicle registration law, the proceeds pro-ceeds whereof were to be credited to the State road building fund. The revenue from this source was small for several years as annual registration was not required until 1915. The road commission was empowered to call upon the faculties facul-ties of the university and agricultural agricul-tural college for engineering assistance as-sistance and also to make use of their laboratories, all without compensation. com-pensation. This provision remains In the statutes (36-2-13, R. S. 1933). In conformity with the long-continued policy of the legislature, before mentioned, of making direct appropriations to counties for road Improvements, the legislature appropriated ap-propriated in 1909 for expenditure by the counties the sum of $97,500, including" $38,000 in two equal proportions for bridges across the Green River at Jensen and at Green River. The designs of these and other bridges in the list were subject to the approval of the State engineer. In 1911 the State annual appropriation appro-priation for expenditure by the road commission in equal proportions propor-tions in each of the counties, on the cooperative basis as before Indicated, In-dicated, was increased to $60,000. Also a State road bond issue in the amount of $260,000 was authorized, for expenditure in equal amounts in 26 counties, Salt Lake county being excluded from direct benefits. The Issue was of the sinking fund type, twenty-year term and financed from the State general fund. The use of State prison convict labor on the roads, was authorized, and utilized until about 1920. This provision, however, remains In the laws (85-9-59, R. S. 1933). In addition to the requirements of law considerable consider-able sums were raised by the counties coun-ties financially able to do so for use in cooperative construction or independently by the counties on State and county roads, Box Elder leading in 1911 with a bond issue ot $200,000. The State appropriated the sum of $78,000 directly to the counties in 1911 for specified road improvements improve-ments including $35,000 for a bridge across the Grand (now Colorado) river at Moab. This was the last regular appropriation of this character. char-acter. In 1913 the State's annual appropriation appro-priation for use of the commission was increased to $97,200, or $3,600 for use in each county, miscellaneous miscellane-ous appropriations were made for specific highways to be expended by the road commission, and appropriations ap-propriations for the biennium were made in the amounts of $40,000 for State road equipment and $37.-000 $37.-000 for convict labor on roads. The county commissioners were required re-quired to purchase rights of way for State roads. It was also required re-quired that the counties' proportions propor-tions of State allotments for State roads including proceds from the five-mill levy be paid into the State treasury for disbursement by the road commission. In 1915 the regular annual appropriation ap-propriation was increased to $100,-o'OO; $100,-o'OO; the precinct tax was repealed and counties and cities authorized |