The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1912-09-12
HUGE SUMS TO BE EXPENDED
ON ROADS.
Government Preparing to Take up
Work Under COngression-
al Aid.

Washington, Sept. All the in
dications are that Uncle Sam is on
the eve of huge expenditures Tor
the purpose of establishing COM
prehensive system of good roads IN
this country.
The probabilities are that before
the end is reached, this will mean
bond issue. But on the other
hand, if the believers in good roads
arc correct, the benefits OF the good
roads policy to transportation Will
be tremendous.
All over the country rises up the
clamor for better roads. In many
respects, after the lapse OF 2,OoO
years, the United States is behind
the old Romans in respect to roads
making and good roads. But now,
an actual start has been made In
the direction of federal legislation
ard federal activities that once they
are begun they grow rather than dl-
minish, it may be expected OF con-
gress in the near future will appro-
pirate heavily for road purposes.
That the automobile has done
much to stir up and organize the
demand for good roads in this
country cannot be doubted. While
on the one hand the automobile IS
destructive of good roads, 1T has, on
| the other hand, caused great num-
bers of people to become interested
, in the subject of better highways.
Tens of thousands of people who
had never before given thought to
roads have had their attention d.
rected to them by use of the auto.
The postoftice appropriation Dill
allows a half million dollars to be
! expended under the direction OF the
postmaster general and the secre-
tary of agriculture in improving the
roads over which rural delivery is
carried on or over which routes may
he established. This half million is
additional to an appropriation OF
$4,000 for joint committee OF the
two houses to inquire into federal
aid to good roads and report at the
earliest date practicable.
Already, the work under the hall
| million dollar appropriation is be-
ing planned. 1t is under the dlrec-
ton of Director Logan Waller Page,
of the office OF public roads. Ev-
erybody knows that the half million
dollars will be merely small begin
hing and that in the long run
many millions Of dollars will be re-
quired. However, actual road i'm
provemerts will be carried on in
every state with the use of the
$500, 900.
Tn policy for expenditure of the
100000 has been decided On by
Mr.. Page in conference with Post
master General Hitchcock and Sec
| rotary of Agriculture Wilson. 1t is
the intention to distribute it equit-
ably among the states. Each state
will get about $4,000. or this.
! $4,000 will be at once allotted to
each state, while about $4,000 Will
| be kept back to be used as a main
tcnance fund. 1t is expected the
$4,000 will be used to put one or
two post roads in the best of condi-
ton. 1t is not the purpose to actu-
ally build new roads but to see how
tar the money will go in putting ex-
listing roads in the prime OF condi-
ton.
The states are expected, in order
to get the use of the government
money, to allow twice the sum al
lowed By the government. In other
words, the expenditure of the gov
eminent is $4,000 in a state to i'm
prove the post roads will mean in
reality that $4,000 is expended for
that purpose to improve a consid-
cradle stretch of road in each state
in the union The governor of each
state will be advised of the plan OF
the federal government and the gov
ernor will then ask the county or
township road authorities to select
the routes or roads which they want
improved. The federal government
viii. not interfere with the selection.
But a government expert will super
wise the work of repairing and i'm
proving the road. The law allows
tho local authorities to raise the
supplemental part of the funds, so
that if the state legislatures do not
see fit to appropriate twice the sum
allowed by the federal government,
county authorities can do so.
| Within a year, the secretary OF
agriculture and the postmaster gen.
eral are required to report to con-
gress the miles of road improved,
the cost and other information, to-
gether with recommendations for a
general plan of federal aid to good
roads in cooperation with state and
local authorities.
All sorts of schemes for great
national highways have been sug-
gested. One plan is to start from
Washington as a sort of hub and
have great national roads rad1ate
in all directions. This plan would
be extremely costly and is not likely
to be carried out for that reason.
if no other. Director Page does not
believe in taking up the road prob
lem in this manner. He wants the
development of good roads to start
with the localities and the state and
to build up from that foundation.
From such start, he belives a sys-
tenn of national highways would
develop naturally. The big trunk
line roads would be of value to the
autoist but Mr.. Page thinks the
local roads are what will prove OF
most value to the farmer, the rural
mail carrier and the public gener-
ally.
Before the general government
&h,o,,rb with tho pNnd roads