The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-09-02
Each County Must Spend Twice Amount Given
 By Government
$500, FOR FIRST
 TRIAL OF SYSTEM
Walker County Has Already Made Application and Senator Urges Other Alabama Counties to
 Build More Roads

One of the most important measures enacted into law by Congress during the session just concluded was, in the opinion of Senator John H. Bankhead, who was in Birmingham yesterday. a bill providing for federal aid in the matter of building good roads
 The bill was introduced by Senator Bankhead. It passed both houses and was signed by the President The ap- propriation is s500.o00. and a provision is that the county in which the i'm provement is authorized. shall expend a sum twice as great as that of the fed eral appropriation for that county Walker county has already applied for share of the appropriation, and Sen ator Bankhead urges other Alabama counties to do likewise. He anticipates the subsequent expenditure of vast sums of money for the purpose of building good roads
 In this regard, he made the following statement:
 First Reception Cold
 "A few years ago when the agita- tion of this subject was begun it's friends met a cold reception. Many thought it an impossible task and looked upon IL merely as a campaign slogan. Recognizing the importance of good roads and the justice of the de- mand that the government should con tribute to the building of post roads over which the mails are dispatched an nI fa Ie, of the farm must be taken to the mar ket place. have felt that it was only a matter of time when a sufficient num- Der of senators and congressman would be convinced of the justice of the claim to pass the law extending federal aid The first public utterance I made in the Senate was in advocacy of this policy Many senators smiled and looked upon the suggestion as an impossible dream. cred from time to time and the peo- pie have become aroused, one by one senators and congressman have joined us in demanding that the federal gov ernment grant this long delayed jus tice I do not mean that I was alone when I first began the agitation in Con- gress. I have had valuable aid from the beginning Through the Good Roads association. state and national, a con stant campaign has been waged throughout the country for several years. The people have been aroused on the subject and their public serv- ants are coming to reflect their senti- ment.
 The Bill Passed
 At the last session of Congress the House passed a good roads bill but the Senate rejected it. The two houses could not agree upon q plan. l had introduced a bill at the beginning os the session which was intended to com init to the policy of federal aid and to put the governmental machinery at work in an experimental way In the press of tariff and other matters and with a reluctant Senate l had been un- able to get the bill considered but to- wards the end of the session the chance came. When the postoffiee bill was under consideration and the two houses had disagreed. l was appointed one of the Senate conferees
 q finally induced the conferees of each house to include the bill In the conference report. The report was made and adopted by both houses and the bill has been signed by the Presi- dent. While the appropriation Is not large the bill will work as the enter ing wedge. The first appropriation for rural free delivery was only $1O,- 900. It has spread until there is Q postoffiee at nearly every mans door and the government spends annually $40, ,000,000 for rural delivery.
 No power on earth can now prevent the rapid increase of appropriations for road building I predict that within 10 years the government will bo spending s50000000 annually in this work.
 Alabamians Gave Aid
 q have given much time to this sub ject l have travelled to many distant states to make good road and federal aid speeches. Many hundreds of thou sands of my speeches have been dis tributed throughout the country by good roads association and farmers or ganizations. l have spent day after day trying to convince my associates in Congress that the time had come for action. I feel very happy to know that these efforts have borne fruit and that the government has now entered upon this great work. Good roads Is the crying need Of the times. 1 have had the earnest help of Senator Johnston and of each member of the House from Alabama in every effort to secure fed eral aid.
 Tt is now apparent that the consti- tutlonal amendment adopted several years ago authorizing the state to make appropriations for roads was fortunate for us.
 "Walker county has applied for part of the appropriation. Let other coun- ties get in communication with the Postmaster General and the Honorabls Secretary of Agriculture. Instructions will be given by these departments which act jointly as to the manner of application It will of course require some time to work out the details"
 Extra Police for Labor Day
 Chief Bodeker has arranged to have a squad of special patrolment at the