Finance of the Construction and Upkeep of Roads. Provision of Revenues.'
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The practice of the International Road Congress is to refer all papers to sectional reporters. Those reporters, who are usually chosen from the country in which the particular Congress ia to be hcid, summarize points and views from the papers, and condense them for specific consideration at the Congress. We proceed to give, first in order, extracts from a report which may have considerable influence upon decisions that will have to be reached in the United Kingdom within the next year or two.
To deal in a general report with all the details of finance and financial administration contained in the various papers submitted on this question would be out of place, even if it were not impossible. In order, however, to arrive at any general principles, it will be necessary to state, as shortly as possible, the ontlines of the system iii force in each of the countries reported upon.
For this purpose it. seems desirable to adopt some method of classification of roads which will apply more or leas accurately to all the countries under consideration and accordingly, in the course of this report, I shall, generally speaking, deal with five classes of roads, which I shall call:—(A) National roads ; (B) pens incial roads; (C) district roads; (1)) vicinal roads; and (E) town streets, The distinction must of course be a rough one and must be understood as descriptive of the relative importance of the roads as serving larger or smaller areas of territory, awl not as necessarily indicating the authorities which control them, since the subjects of classification and administration belong strictly to another question before the Congress.
France
A. NATIONAL ROA r.S,—Total mileage cm 31st Dacember. 1910, was 38,230 kilnms.
It is calculated that the total cost of coustruction of these roads had amounted in 1910 to 1,611.000.000 francs.
To the Budget of 1910, over 2,000,000 francs were apywopriated for improvements and bridges, aud 37,000,000 francs for road maintenance. It is expected that this sum will rise to at, least 40 millions in the near future, The following Sexes are levied in connection with the nse of roads:— Yield in 1910. Francs.
(a) On public conveyances with springs, horses and mules (with certain exceptions) 29s000,000
(b) On automobiles imported temporarily
(c) On public conveyances 4,600,000 (d) On bicycles, motor-bicycles and motor tricycles 8,500,000 (e) On petrol (estimated payment on motors) 24,000,000 Other State revenues from roads include :—
(I) Rentals for the temporary occupation of roads above and below ground.
(II) Fines for convictions.
JIB Stamp duties on road permits.
(IV) Examination fees for motor-drivers' licences. Voluntary grants in aid amounted to 735000 francs in 1910.
B. PROVINCIAL ROADS.—In France this class may be taken to include:— Kilo in.
(a) repartmental roads (gradually being merged in the next class) 13.000 (b) Roads of main communication 174.000
(") Road of common interest 79,000
The budgets in respect of all these roads are made up by the Conseils Genesaux and the funds for the purpose are obtained from:—.
(a) The addition of a certain number of centimes to the State taxes levied on the communes.
(5) The same as regards the Departments.
(e) A number of " extraordinary " centimes levied by the Conseil Geneaal within fixed limits.
(d) Loans.
(e) Special revenue, such as industrial subsidies, voluntary aid grants, product of fines, etc. (f) Government grants. The amount of Government grant is in inverse ratio to the assessable valae of the area pet square kilometre, and varies from 61.35 per cent. to 21.35 per cent.
The total expenditure on roads of main communication or common interest in 1908 was 6,143,140 francs, defrayed as follows :— Francs. Per cent, By departments and communal loans 3,810,069 58.9 By State 2,654,071 41.1 C. Dtsranar ROADS--This class may be said to be represented in France by tho ordinary vicinal roads. Of these there were, irt 1910, 382,913 Llama.
The communes are obliged to maintain and repair these roads. The funds for the purpose are obtained from :—
(A) Ordinary revenue.—The surplus of this, after all compulsory expenses have been met, may be applied to roads. Part of this revenue arises from :—Permits for standing on yanks ; rental of space on public thoroughfare ; building permits ; road sweepers' tax; 1-20 of horse and vehicle tax.
Tax on automobiles not exceeding 50 per cent, of amount raised by State tax
(B) Contributions kind.—Commuucs may impose a maximtun of three days work (or equivalent value in money) per annum on all able-bodied males between 18 and 60 and elrivera of horse vehicles and automobiles. :Malay proposals have been made to abolish this tax, and the communes are now authorized to institute a " vicinal tax," consisting of additional centimes to the four direct Government taxes.
The total amount raised under this head (either contribution in kind or specie or vicinal tax) for 1910 was 59,074,663 francs.
(C) 4tjdioiwj centintes.—A maximum of five " ordinary special " centimes may be added to the four direct Government taxes and also three " extraordinary" centimes.
(D) Special additions.—Further additional centimes may be levied for special works up to a maximum, or hey noel it taa special authorization.
(E) Loose—These can be raised without special authorization, provided that the payments in respect of them do not cause the levy of local taxes to exceed the maximum fixed.
(d) Sales of timber on land.
(e) Private subscriptions.
(f) Industrial grants in aid, invoked by the communes, at the commencement of each year for damage caused during the preceding year.
(y) Labour in lieu of fines for convictions.
(h) Departmental subsidies. Very few granted for maintenance, but more for construction.
(i) State grants for construction and improvement.These are given subject to the communes keeping their ordinary vicinal roads in good condition and applying their available revenue to that purpose.
The proportion of grants under h, and i for construction and improvement to the expenditure of the communes for 1908 on 1.150 kiloms. of roads was as follows:— Francs. Per cent.
Communes 3.592,300 29.6 Depa amen ts 3,392,23C, 27.8 State 5,179,555 42.6 D. Victs:at. ROADS, or, as named in M.. Bordas' paper, Rural Roads—These are not a compulsory charge on the communes. They contribute towards them out of their ordinary revenue and may add receipts of one extra day's work or some of the revenue from " extraordinary centimes." Industrial grants for " extraordinary traffic" are also available, and private contributions are frequently given.
E. Tows; STREETS.—Exix!nses for these ar3 met either by ordinary revenue or by special taxes, which include taxes:— (a) On standing room for vehicles and hire of space. (h) On building permits and encroachments.
(c) For paving and sidewalks. Usually frontagers are charged with half the cost of construction.
(d) For sweeping streets. (e) For right of emptying into sewers, for collecting and removing nand and garbage, etc. Germany.
The paper by Messrs. Timuse and Petri treats separately of 12 of the states of the German Empire. It is impossible to deal thoroughly in a general report with such details and there is a special difficulty in classifying the roads its all these states on a uniform system, seeing that while some of the states are kingdoms of large area and their principal roads would naturally be termed " national," others are quite as small, for instance, as English counties and their principal toads would therefore seem not. to fall within the same category. Some allowance must therefore be given if the very general remarks which it is possible to make here on German road finance do not accurately apply to all the States concerned.
According to the constitution of the. German Empire, the construction of the country roads in the interests of national defence and general traffic is subject to the control and legislation of the Imperial Government, Apart from this, the whole administration of the roads is in the hands of the federated states.
A. NATIONAL ROADS.--In almost every state of the empire certain roads are recognized as state roads (in Bavaria onetwelfth of the total mileage) and, as a rule, the total expellees of construction and maintenance of these roes is met out of general taxation. The system in Prussia is different, in that the Prussian Government has handed over must of the state roads to the various provinces, who may, in their turn, delegate their powers by agreement to minor authorities, but, in view of the very large area of the 12 Prussian provinces, it will he convenient for the purposes of this report, to treat the roads thus administered under the head of national. To meet the expenses of these roads, the Prussian State makes an annual grant to the provinces of 19,000,000 marks, of which 15,000,000 are allocated as fixed by statue, 2,000,000 in proportion to area and 2,000,000 in propostion to population. B. PROVINCIAL ROADS.—C. DISTRICT ROADS.—It is difficult, from the information given in the German paper, to separate these two classes of roads. It would appear that, generally speaking, there is no distinction between them either as regards the authorities who administer them or the financial conditions.
In Prussia the State grants subsidies for roads generally (in addition to the grant mentioned under A.), of which one-third is allocated in inverse ratio to the State income tax, one-third in proportion to the percentage of communal payments to the State income-tax and one-third in proportion to the population. The right to levy dues of various kinds may he conferred on the communal road associations or the associations may call upon industrial undertakings to contribute in cases where they make special uet■ of the roads. Contributions of the latter description are required in many provinces. Charges are also made for rail-tracks, underground pipes, etc. Where other income is insufficient provincial taxes are levied.
In Bavaria the State and the provinces pay the costs of these roads (which amount to one-quarter of the total highways) in a proportion of 1 to 2.6. Special dues are levied for extraordinary traffic.
In Saxony the State gives a regular grant up to 20 per cent of the cost of maintenance of district roods. New roads are constructed by the land-owners, who are repaid 30 per cent, of the cost out of State and district fund. The owners of forests, quarries, etc., may also he required to contribute.
In Wurtemberg the State bears one-third to one-half of the cost of district roads in which the traffic is considerable, provided that their condition •satisfies the Government technical officials.
In Alsace-Lorraine the State gives an annual grant of 200.000 marks. The districts can levy special clues on the owners of industrial undertakings, including the transport of vehicles, quarries, forests, etc. Mereover, the districts
fix the contributions from the communes, which are raised by the latter by the system of additional centimes. In Baden the communes are obliged to pay one-third of the cost of construction and one-quarter of the cost of maintenance.
In Hesse all the roads are administered by the "circles." The expenses of construction of roads in the open country are met as to three-eighths by the State, one quarter by the provinces, one-quarter by the circles and one-eighth be, the communes. The communes are primarily liable for the whole cost of construction of roads in urban areas, but may be relieved. The State grants 1,C00,000 marks annually for maintenance.
In all the other states, Government grants are given towards these roads; in Mecklenburg, for instance, up to 11,C00 marks per kilorn. D. Vicricia, ROADS.—These are usually constructed and maintained by the land-owners, who may be assisted by grants from the road authorities. E. TOWN STREETS.—Where these form part of through roads, their maintenance is sometimes made over by the State; or other responsible bodies to the towns for fixed annual payments. As regards other streets, the frontagers are as a rule liable for the construction and sometimes also for is part of the maintenance, especially of footways.
In Prussia the frontagers are responsible for the clearing and construction of new streets up to half the width, if this does not, exceed 13 in., for drainage and lighting installations and for the maintenance for a period of not exceeding five years. Improvements are sometimes charged on the fronttagers up to 50 or 60 per cent, and they often have to maintakt the footways. Special dues are levied in different towns on vehicles, on industrial undertakings for extraordinary traffic, by bridge tolls, for drainage, gas and water, for street cleaning, etc.
Bava.ria.--Construction by the town except in .1tinich, Saxony.—In Dresden the frontagers bear a fixed proportion of the cost of construction. In Chemnitz and Leipsig builders must hand over all works free of charge. Wurtemberg.—Erontag,ers contribute as soon as buildings are erected.
Alsace and Lorraine.—Frontagers contribute for construction up to 10 ns. In Strasburg frontagers pay ow-third maintenance of footways. Baden.—Prontagers contribute to all costs of construction. Hasse.—Frontagers provide free ground 6 no wide and bear the cost of surfacing 8 in. Town maintains. Oldenburg.—Frontagers give the ground or its value and pay 331 per cent, cost of drainage. Brunswick.—Frontagers contribute to constructien and pay cost et' maintaining footway up to 1.05 in. Special dues are levied on large industrial undertakings.
Haase Towns.—Frontagers contribute to constructicn.
Of the three principal classes of roads in Italy the provincial are far the most important as regards traffic. The mileage and average cost of these roads in 1909 were as Lire kilom, per kilom.
State roads 8,303 884.38 Provincial roads 44,761 589.52 District (Communal) 5,406 nal) roads 221.00
A. NATIONAL ROADS.—All expenses borne by the State. A. PuovrNrIAL ROADS.—The expenses are met out of the general funds, which are raised from—
(a) A tax on land within limits fixed by statutes. (6) 40 per cent, of the receipts from the taxation of motorcars.
(r) Various revenues of secondary importance, including legacy duties.
The State bore half the cost of construction of a series of provincial roads built between 1881 and 1895 and provides a subsidy for defence work against erosion caused by torrents and landslides, but does not otherwise contribute. 0. 0/STRICT ROADS.—Called "communal " in Italy. These are constructed and maintained by the communes out of their general revenne. The State, however, contributes onehalf and the province one-quarter of the cost of construction of roads of access to railway stations and landing stages of vessels and the State bears two-thirds and the province onesixth of the cost of construction of roads to connect isolated communes with existing roads. P. VICINAL ROADS.—The cost of repair and etaintenance is borne by those who use these roads for ascess to their lands and dwellings, with financial assistance from the communes for the more important roads.
(To be continued.)