130 
TJrdahl—Historical Survey of Fee Systems. 
from England. Each of the original states, almost without 
exception, passed through all the stages in the evolution, which 
as has already been shown, may be roughly outlined as follows: 
The bad effects of the unrestrained sale of liquor soon became 
manifest; to remedy this, power was given to some public 
officials to restrict the number of places where liquor might be 
sold. From this it is but a step to a written license. Soon a 
small fee is charged for the use of the licensing body. Little 
by litle this fee is increased until it becomes the license charge 
as we know it today. Before 1830 the liquor licenses were all 
of them moderate, rarely exceeding $50 in amount, and usually 
much less. 
G. ROAD TOLLS, ETC. 
After the colonies had recovered from the immediate effects 
of the revolutionary war, a period of intense industrial activity 
and prosperity set in, as is manifested by the enormous increase 
in the number of internal improvements and other improve¬ 
ments and other enterprises. Pennsylvania was the leader in 
road and bridge building. In this state 168 turnpike companies 
and 61 bridge companies were incorporated 1 between 1792 and 
1828. The other states were progressing along the same lines. 
Almost every legislature passed some special act incorporating 
bridge and road companies, or granting ferry privileges. Many 
of these undertakings were so large, that state aid was neces¬ 
sary if they should be successfully completed. Pennsylvania 
alone subscribed over two million dollars to turnpike, bridge, 
and canal companies in less than twenty years. 2 
Most of these improvements were not built by local political 
bodies, for the free use of the people, but were speculative in¬ 
vestments for profit. The investors expected, in almost every case, 
to recompense themselves, not only for the interest on the invest¬ 
ment, but also for the capital itself, out of the tolls to be col¬ 
lected for the use of the improvement. Some of the charters 3 
1 Worthington, Finances of Pennsylvania, Amer. Econ. Assn. Publ., 
p. 20. 
2 Ibid., 21. 
3 1797, 20th session, p. 454. License granted to Anthony Dobbins to run 
a stage from Goshen to New York. 
