The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1903-07-16
GOOD g
g a S.
Geyernment Construction Of Roads.

Dill mas Deen III tie
~ House of Representatives OF
NJ the United States providing
- for the establishment Of 4 Bu-
reau Of Public Roads to take charge Of
the survey, planning and construction
OF good roads. outside the limits Of
cities ard 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 or
the office and S20,000,000 for the con-
struction Of the roads. The limitations
are that the National Government shall
pay one-half the cost of 4 road and the
locality the other half-this half being
divided between State, political sub-di-
vision County or township and prop
| erty owners in any manner determined
by them, and that no State shaL re-
| ceiye more Of the sum appropriated
than the proportion which its popula-
ton bears to the entire population OF
the United States.
TWENTY-FIVE officials and employees
| are provided for, the director to receive
$500 a year and others from $500 to
S720 a year, and such other officers.
| agents and 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 enumer-
| ated, and would fail completely to pro-
vide for a force sufficient to plan the
work and supervise the expenditure Of
the S2O,OOO,O0 0 Fortunately the section
| appropriating the latter sum for coop
Grafton and actual construction In
| cludes "the maintenance Of said Bu.
reau of Public Roads"
The Government has in the past con.
| structed public roads, but they were
| highways to carry the traffic between
sections of 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 it to the judgment of the direc-
Ter of the bureau as 10 whether the
road fund shall be used III developing
communication by highways between
States or distributed in improving Sec
tons Of road entirely local in character.
whether largely travelled or not. There
are many who defend the principle or
the river and harbor Improvements
who could not advocate such a bill for
the relief of the Treasury Of the United
States as this.
Were 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
able consideration except in a Legislat-
ure composed entirely Of "practicaF'
politicians. The Bureau Of Public
Roads, under this bill, could readily be
made the place for paying political
debts and for distributing public pat
ronage to the hungry. There have been
State Legislatures which would pass
this sort of bill, but Congress has never
done so except in the river and harhor
bill in it's worst days, which was a
gradual growth from a legitimate be-
ginning.-Municipal Engineering.