The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1912-09-11
U. S. GIVES FUND
FOR GOOD ROADS
Government Has Appropriation OF
$525,00 to be Used as Start
in the Movement.
STATES TO OUTLINE THE WORK
Rural Delivery Routes to be Greatly
improved as Part Of the Gen.
eraI Scheme.

In all $525,000 has been set aside
for this purpose, $4,000 to enable a
Joint committee "to make inquiry in
to the subject of federal aid in the
construction of post roads," and re-
port at the earliest practicable date.
and 100000 to be expended by the
secretary of agriculture in cooperation
with the postmaster general lin i'm
proving the conditions of roads to be
selected by them over which rural
delivery is or may hereafter be es-
tablished."
The burden of this work will fall
upon the office of public roads Of which
Logan Waller Page is director.
Plan for Distribution.
Acting with the approval of Score
taries Wilson and Hitchcock, Director
Page has already begun to map out
a plan for distributing the appropria-
tion which will embody the policy
that eventually will control all dis
bursements.
In the first place the bureau Of pub
lie roads will allot $4,000 to each state,
reserving about $4,000 for future
maintenance in each state. Probably
$4,000 will enable each state to put
in first class condition perhaps two
post roads; or to fix up one rural de-
livery road properly, and thereby en-
able the service to be doubled.
The routes will be selected by the
local authorities. A letter will be
sent to the governor of each state, in
forming him that certain sum is
available for the improvement of the
post roads and then it is expected he,
through the highway commissions or
the county authorities, will be asked
to select the routes to be treated and
notify the director in Washington
what has been done. This plan, it is
urged, will avoid mixing the gov
eminent in the politics of making Sc
lections.
How to Get the Money.
TO avail themselves of the govern
ment money, the states must appro-
pirate twice the sum allowed by the
government. In other words, should
the general policy suggested be car
ried out, every state would be able to
increase it's own appropriation so per
cent through federal aid.
The law states that the local money
may be provided either by state or
1.-THE local subdivision thereof This
means the money may be raised by
counties, and that the government may
deal with county autohrities, which
are much more powerful in many OF
the western states than in the east.
The secretary of agriculture, and
the postmaster general are directed by
the act to report to congress within
one year 1.-The number of miles Of road
improved, the cost of same, and such
other information as they may have
acquired, together with such recon-
mendation as shall seem wise for pro-
viding a general plan of national aid
for the improvement of post roads in
cooperation with the states and coun-
ties, and to bring about, as near as
possible, such cooperation among the
various states as will insure uniform
and equitable interstate and highway
regulation, and for providing neces-
sary funds for carrying out such plans
of national aid, if it shall be deemed
feasible to provide the same or any
part thereof otherwise than by appro-
priation from the treasury for that
purpose"
The language of the law would APP
pear to commit the government to
certain extent to the policy of federal
aid; and it clearly hints also at the
possibility of bond issue.
Director Page contributes the sug-
gestion that should congress finally
develop a plan of federal aid it would
be we'll, in justice to states like
Massachusetts and New Jersey, which
have already built fine system OF
state highways, to provide that these
highways should be taken over by the
government and maintained by it; and
that hereafter where states build their
own highways the government should
maintain them. OF course, no high
ways would be accepted under the
plan that did not conform to the gov
eminent standard.
Mr.. Page does not advocate or even
favor a plan whereby either the gov
eminent or the states shall set out to
build great trunk line systems.
ut is much better, believe" said
Director Page, that the states should
treat their road building as local
problem. The first consideration is
the development of agriculture and
4ho cooor1 tho carving nf