54. State Aid. In 1891 New Jersey inaugurated a new ture in road administration in America—that of state aid in road construction. A state law provides that on the petition of a major ity of the adjacent property owners, a gravel or broken-stone road shall be built, under the direction of the State Highway Commis sioner, 331 per cent of the expense to be borne by the state, 10 per cent by the abutting property, and 561 per cent by the county. The maintenance of the improved road is in the hands of the county officials.
In 1893 Massachusetts inaugurated a somewhat similar system of state aid for road improvement. Under the Massachusetts law the road improvement may be petitioned for by the town, county, or city authorities; and the state bears 75 per cent of the expense, and the county 25 per cent. Notice that no part of the expense of the improvement is laid directly upon either the abutting property or the township. This is a concession to the poorer communities, which are frequently most in need of improved highways. The maintenance of the roads is in the hands of the township authorities, with a general oversight by the State Commission.
In 1895 Connecticut inaugurated a similar system of state aid. The distribution of the expense has changed from time to time: in 1895 one third each by state, county, and town; in 1897, one half each by state and town; and in 1899, one third by small towns and two thirds by large towns, the remainder in each case by the state.
In 1898 New York adopted a state-aid system, whereby the state pays 50 per cent, the county 35 per cent, and the town 15 per cent. The practice in New York differs from that in the other states in that the state-aid fund may be used for the improvement of earth roads.
55. The principle of state aid is defended on the ground that (1) it secures centralized control, (2) makes the wealth of the city bear part of the expense of maintaining the country roads, and (3) compels the railroads and other state-wide corporations to bear part of the expense of local improvements.
In Europe nearly all countries give national aid in some form for building roads.