The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1913-07-15

maintenance NOsJ3s
In the suggested plan have not
provided for Federal supervision OF
| construction for the reason that 1t Is
desirable to avoid dangers incident 10
making the states subservient to
bureau in Washington. The construc-
ton fund will eventually be repaid in
part by the states In the payment Of
the interest charge. In the case OF
maintenance appropriation there shlo
maintenance appropriation there
should be inspection by government
engineers to see that the money has
been effectively expended, the anti.
cipation Of which inspection will max
cipation Of which inspection will
make the state authorities more care
full to do good construction work.
Construction and maintenance OF
roads under the plan have proposed
will require the employment Of
large number of men. II these men
were accountable to federal bureau
they would constitute a huge organi-
cation that could easily be used for
| political puopr ses6esLbue hrdl srhdl
political purposes. To avoid such a
possibility, my plan contemplates the
employment OF AL labor by state au-
thority.
The magnitude of a Federal bureau
having control Of highway mainten-
ance throughout the Uni.ed States
NAV be judged by the number OF road
patrolmen employed in France. That
nation, after expenditure Of billion
and a half dollars in period OF one
hundred years. has a system OF roads
aggregating three hundred and seven.
ty-one thousand miles,, and employees
eighty thousand patrolmen to keep
them in repair. The United States has
some two million two hundred thous.
and miles of road; II we had FEEDER
al pstrolman to maintain every five
ganization of over four hundred thous.
and men directly responsible to a
bureau in Washington, and the ten.
dency would be toward its centrali.
cation as a political machine. which
under our system Of government
would absolutely control the political
machinery of the country.
This danger would be minimized by
making these men employees of the
state and providing only government
inspection to determine the efficien-
cy of the maintenance. In my opin-
ion the country should be divided into
districts containing approximately
fifty thousand miles Of road each with
an engineer in charge OF each dis
trict.
The establishment of National Ac.
ademy of Highway and Bridge Engin-
eering deem of no less Importance
than the maintenance of military and
naval academies.
Though 1t Is true that state institu.
tons can give instruction in highway
engineering, few, II any, are, or will be
equipped to give the extent and chara
cter of instruction requisite to qualify
a man for supervision of large under
taaIings in highway construction.
Moreover, a national institution Is
needed to equip men for the work of
giving instruction in the state instltu-
tions. A national academy will bring
together the best experts to be had,
will provide the best possible equip
ment for testing road material accord
ing to the most approved methods,
and will establish desirable esprit de
corps among the highway engineers,
insuring higher standards OF efficien-
cy. Such an institution will be means
for the collection of the best informa-
ton on road building from all parts
of the world and serve as a means OF
dissemination of such information
throughout the United States.
Such is the plan / have suggested
for consideration. II comprises Cti-
lization of the superio' credit of the
Government in raising billion-dol.
lar construction fund.- direct appro-
priation of two billion dollars in fifty
years by the Federal government and
the states in cooperative maintenance
OF roads after permanent improve
ments have been made and the edu-
cational work that will insure an ade-
quate supply of qualified supervision.
The importance and value OF road
Improvement must be conceded sub
NIT that | have suggested a plan Of
Federal sind state cooperation in road
construction and maintenance which
will bring desired results without es-
tablishing a pork barrel or leading to
bureaucracy or unlimited expendi. .
lures.