Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1903-07-22
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Government Construction of Koads.

Government Construction of lloaNs.
N bill has been introduced in the
N House of Representatives of
NJ the United States providing
for the establishment of Bu-
rcau Of Public Roads to take charge of
the survey, planning md construction
of ;,toti roads, outside the limits of
cities aid incorporated towns or VII
lagos. which may be petitioned for by
the authorities in any political division
of any State. 1t is proposed to appro-
pirate $4,000 for the maintenance OF
the Office and $2o,0O0,000 for the con-
structlob of the roads. The limitations
are that the National Government shall
pay one-half the cost of road and the
locality the other half-this half being
divided between State, political sub-dl-
vision county or township and prop.
crty owners in any manner determined
by them, and that no State shall re-
ccivc more of the sum appropriated
than the proportion which its popula'
ton bears to tie eiitirc population OF
the United States:
Twcnty-two officials and employees
nc provided for, the director to receive
$500 Il year ard others from $500 tc
SI20 4 year; and 'sucG other officers,
agents aid servants as the director
NAV from time to time require" The
$4,000 appropriated in one. section
would scarcely provide for these twen'
ty-two men and the expenses cnumer'
ated, and would fail completely to pro-
vide for force sufficient to plan the
work and supervise the expenditure of
:hc S20,OOO0O0. Fortunately the section
appropriatlng the latter sum for coop.
Grafton and actual construction" III
cludes "the maintenance Of said Bu'
rcau Of Public Roads'
The GovcrnmGht has In the past con.
structed public reads, Int they were
highways to carry tie traffic between
sections bf The country without other
means OF communication. approaches
to Government reservations or of SINH
lar public use. The excuse for the i'm
provement of rivers and harbors has
always been the service or the develop
ment of national commerce, however
far the actual practice may have de-
Waited from this ideal. This bill, how.
ever, goes to the furthest limit and
leaves 1t TO the Judgment of the direc'
tor Of the bureau as to whether the
road fund shall lie used in developing
communicated by highways between
States or distributed in improving sec
tlons of road entirely local in character,
whether largely Travelled OF not. There
are many who defend the principle OF
the river and harbor Improvements
who could not advocate such bill "for
the relief OF. the Treasury Of the United
States" as this.
We're the principle of the bill to Sc
cure a majority vote the form OF and
the lack of safeguard of expenditure in
this bill would scarcely receive favor
nble consideration except III a Lcgislat:
ure composed entirely of practical
politicians. The Bureau of Public
Roads, under this bill, could readily be
made the place for paying political
lebts and for distributing public pat
.onagc to the hungry. There have been
State Legislatures which would pass
his sort of bill, but Congress has never
lone so except in the river and harbor
bill in It's worst days, which was
zrfiia'rsale growtli froin a legitimate be;
! ginning Engineering: