Arizona republican., 1913-01-05
MILLIONS FOR
 BETTER ROADS
Measured by the Fortunes Appropriated by States for Road Improvements, 1912 Has Been Notable Year in This Respect

The Near just closed has been a notable one from the viewpoint of good roads enthusiasts in raauy di- rections. It would be noteworthy if there were nothing else to record than the action of many states in making liberal roads appropriations. New York tops the list with the s50,- 000.000 bond issue, added to it's pre- vious appropriation of an equal amount. Pennsylvania follows with a proposed $50,000,0O appropriation which there is assurance will be fav- orably acted upon by it's state legis- lature. In California an $1S,0OO, 900 bond issue is now being expended, in Maine the $2,O00,O00 bond issue has been authorized, to be met by auto mobile fees: smaller appropriations In other states, all point to a vast bet torment in road conditions in he next few years. The defeat of he $50, ,000, ,0OO bond issue in Ohio is he only dis couraging feature of the year, and even this, say Ohio good roads advo- cates, is certain to be reconsidered in the near future.
 7 Of the many convention held dur ing the year. two are especially note worthy. The American Road Con- gross at Atlantic City, N. J., brought together road builders and road users in enthusiastic cooperation Most inn portant, however. was the first Fed eral Aid Good Roads convention call cd by the American Automobile as- sociation and held in Washington, D. C in Tan nd trf H1ybf already come. results reaching and which give promise of greater things at no distant day.
 The federal aid sentiment and the good roads enthusiasm stimulated anu crystallized by the A. A. A, with the agricultural business and highway as sociations cooperating have spread throughout the United States, so that the beginning of 1913 has spread throughout the United States, so that the beginning of 1913 finds the ques- tion to be not one of whether the government should spend national! funds upon roads, but as to the form which such appropriations should take.
 On this point another noteworthy event of the year was the action of the A. A. A. at it's annual meeting in placing itself squarely on record ia voring the construction of a system of national roads and opposed to scat tering and piecemeal distribution of government funds.
 Even though there is little likeli- hood of the present congress taking any important action on the subject Of federal aid, the joint committee is busily engaged collecting data and information upon which to base it's report All but one of the members of the joint committee have either been reelected to the house, or their continuanc in the senate is assured. The governors of all the states have been called upon for detailed infor- nation as to highway conditions in their respective states, and informa tion is also being gathered from high way departments and other sources. As result the 63rd congress. when it comes into existence on March 4. 1913, will have before it a volume of information on the subject of good roads never before available, and which will be of vast service in form ulating a policy of federal aid. The second federal aid convention, to be held in Washington simultane ously with the beginning of the new congress, will bring the organized mo- torists. the farmers, and the business men who will be represented there into closer cooperation with congress on this matter, and undoubtedly will result in speedy action along federal aid lines.