Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1912-10-10
GOVERNMENT AID
 fOR GOOD ROADS Legislation to Further G m- prehensive Plan of Re
 building Roads.
IMPROVE POST ROADS
An Appropriation of Half Iii lion Already Made to Start Work 0i
 Better Rural Deliyery Roads.
(By Jonathan Winfieldl

WaShlngtO OcT. g.--iRe lIQlIeQ States government is making plans for the expenditure of 3 great sun of money in the establishment Of a om- prehensive system of good roads, witA the aid of state and county govern ments And the probabilities are that a gigantic bond issue will be made before the work of rebuilding the roads is we'll under way, but if the ar guments of the believers in good roads are correct, the benefits that result from good highways will more than repay the outlay. From all sections of the country there come clamors for better roads, and the cry is going up that in many respects the United States is way behind the Romans of old in respect of road building. But start has been made in the matter of federal aid for good roads, and as it is the history of federal legislation and federal activi- ties that once they are started they grow instead of diminish, it may be expected that Congress in the near future will make big appropriations for this project.
 To the automobile is given much credit for the outeropping of this de- mand for road improvement. While the automobile itself, is destructive of good roads, it has caused great numbers of persons to become inter- asted in the subject of better nigh ways, who under other circumstances probably would not have given the matter a thought
 The start of federal aid for road building was made in the approDrla- ton bill for the postoffice department This measure sets aside half mil lion dollars to he expended unde the direction of the postmaster general and the secretary of agriculture ill lm- proving the roads over which ura delivery of mails is made or oyef which routes may be established. rms half million dollars is an addition tf the s25. 1000 appropriated for joln1 committee of the TWO houses of Con gress to inquire into the question ol federal aid to good roads and repor' at the earliest date practicable.
 The work of hettering the 'nra delivery roads with the half milllol appropriation, already has been jan ned. This work will be done uade' direction of Logan Waller Page, 4lrec tor of the office of public roads, de nartment of agriculture. AS every pod, knows, the half million appropriate will be only small beginning ant will nay for the reconstruction of bu a small percentage Of the roads CT tn country. and millions more must eX pended from Uncle Sans strong Do before the roads are brought up | standard conditions. But actual yorl on roads in every state of the aniol will be done with the half million al ready allotted.
 The policy that will govern the eX penditure Of this first appropriation a outlined ar recent conference be tween Secretary of Agriculture vii son, Postmaster General HitekcocI and Director Page, will be an equit able distribution Of the money a1aoni the state Under this ruling each stat will get about ten thousand dollars Of this eight thousand wilt be 1lIot ted to each state at once, while rh remaining two thousand will be re tained to De used as mainteranc fund. It is the purpose of the off cials to expend this eight thousand i each state in putting one or two pos roads in the best Of condition. 1t c course will net be possible TO Duil new roads with this small sum bu the money will be used in an eEper ment to see how far it will go in pu ting existing roads in prime cond tions.
 Tn order TO get the use of this go ernment money, the several state go ernments are expected 10 appropria twice the sum allotted by the feder government. In other words the Q penditure of eight thousand dollars the federal government in a stale
 improve post roads will mean in req ity that twenty-four thousand della
 is expended for that purpose. Tn
 will make it possible to impro Q
 considerable stretch of road in eat
 state of the Union.
 Under the plan as outlined, the go
 ernor Of each state will be advised
 the plan of the federal governme
 and the governor then will ask |
 county and township road aathoriti