94 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



The total value of taxable property for the current year is stated by 

 the comptroller to be $4,506,985,694. This sum when taxed at the rate 

 of one tenth of a mill would yield an annual amount of $450,698.56 

 available for the construction of state highways. On this basis each tax- 

 payer would contribute only 10 cents on each $1,000 of assessed valua- 

 tion. 



It is considered by many that the wiser method would be to divide 

 the cost between the state, the county and the locality benefited. 



The proportionate division suggested in senate bill no. 330 of 1897, is 

 one half by the state and one half by the county; it being also provided 

 that the amount paid by each county may be apportioned by the board 

 of supervisors so that 35% of the cost shall be a general county charge 

 and 15% a charge upon the town in which the improved highway is 

 located, or to be assessed upon and paid by the owners of the lands bene- 

 fited, according as the request for the improvement comes from the board 

 of supervisors of the county or from the owners of one third the lineal 

 feet frontage. 



As it is to be expected that the cost of road building in New York 

 would be about the same as in Massachusetts, viz, $10,000 per mile, the 

 cost of rebuilding at state expense the great system of public highways 

 mentioned above would be about $123,000,000. 



If so large a sum as $4,800,000 a year were appropriated and it were 

 found possible with this sum to build 480 miles of road per year, a period 

 of 25.6 years must elapse before the completion of the work. On the 

 other hand, if New York were to appropriate exactly the same amount 

 as Massachusetts, viz, $800,000 per year and could build 80 miles per 

 year, it would require 153.75 years to complete the system of 12,300 

 miles. During all of this time and for all time to come there would re- 

 main in JVew York a vast network of 710,700 miles of road inadequately 

 cared for, as at present, unless some plan for intelligent supervision and re- 

 pair were provided in addition to that for the work of constructing state 

 highways. 



The apparent difficulty of enacting legislation involving a work of such 

 great expense and covering so long a period of time leads to the belief 

 that the solution of the road problem in New York is to be found in the 

 division of the expense of state road construction between the state, the 

 county and the locality benefited as already mentioned. Even this would 

 not be a rapid process; allowing $r, 000, 000 for the construction of 100 

 miles of road per year, 123 years would be required for the completion of 

 the undertaking. 



