SPIRO T. AGNEW, Governor                      1595

terminate in 1972 UPON COMPLETION OF THE CURRENT
INTERSTATE PROGRAM.

The General Assembly of Maryland believes that the Federal high-
way programs financed by the Federal Highway Users Fund should
be allowed to terminate at the expiration of the contracts let in 1972
UPON COMPLETION OF THE CURRENT INTERSTATE PRO-
GRAM.

The legislature recognizes that the Federal Highway Program,
which is largely the work of Congressman George H. Fallon of
Maryland, was a necessary and good program. From its inception,
this program was intended to be only a 10-year program. Maryland
legislators feel that the goals of this program have been largely
reached and that it is our considered opinion that it should be
allowed to terminate as scheduled.

We understand that new goals and objectives are being sought for
this giant Federal program, so that it may be continued. However,
regardless of how attractive these goals can be made, it is our
opinion that if this program is terminated and the same amount of
tax monies which Maryland taxpayers now pay into the Federal
Highway Users Fund, or even less, is kept in the State, substantially
more can be accomplished for our highway users than under any
extension of the present Federal program.

It is obvious to all of us that the proper maintenance of our roads
is one of the major tasks which faces the State of Maryland. Also,
it is imperative that we accelerate our secondary roads program. It
is also desirable that we allow more money to flow to the counties for
local roads in this State.

In order to accomplish these goals and to meet these great needs,
it will be necessary for funds that have been diverted to the Federal
government be made available to the State and its subdivisions. The
Federal Highway Program has not provided funds for maintenance
which has left us with totally inadequate funds for maintaining these
and other highways.

We believe that all of these things can be expedited more efficiently
by routing our tax dollars through Annapolis rather than through
Washington.

For these reasons, the General Assembly of Maryland firmly be-
lieves that the nation's road needs have now shifted to the State and
local level and that more needs to be accomplished here without new
tax burdens to our citizens. We hereby petition our members of the
House of Representatives and the members of the United States
Senate to use their influence to allow the Federal Highway program
to terminate in 1972; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the General Assembly of Maryland, That the Members
of Congress of the United States are requested to allow the Federal
Highway Program to terminate after the expiration COMPLE-
TION of the contracts FEDERAL INTERSTATE HIGHWAY PRO-
GRAM AS NOW PLANNED let in 1972 and to allow no further ex-
tensions of this program beyond those currently in effect THEN
IN EFFECT; and be it further