The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1913-02-06
JACKSON HAS GOOD ROAD BILL
Uncle Sam To Appropriate Ten rlillion
Dollars Yearly.

DOLLARS Yearly.
Washington, Jan. Ex-senator Will
liam P. Jackson, of Maryland, intro
duced bill in the Senate Friday max
ing an appropriation of $4,000, 900 an
nually from the Federal treasury for
good roads.
In taking this step, the Marylander
allies himself strongly with the division
of the House and Senate that is leading
the general fight for Government i'm
provement of highways to the extent
that the Government is now improving
rivers and harbors
! In his measure, however, the Mary
lander proposes that the local community
shall pay half the cost of the road
building, whereas at present the govern
ment pays all the costs of any water
ways projects that it may appropriate
for.
Senator Jackson's good roads plan is
perhaps the most advanced that has yet
been offered in the House or Senate.
He makes it constitutional by providing
that the road to be built or improved
shall be post road. He insist that the
State assumes half of the burden of cost.
The Government is not to pay any Of
its share of the cost until the road shall
have been constructed and approved by
the Secretary of Agriculture. The
specifications are to be available to all,
and if they are lived up to, then the
Government will pay one-half of the
price.
Senator Jackson issued a statement
in which he explained the plan he pro-
poses and his reasons for Offering it.
He saws:
''The plan is SIMPLY this: Any State
may suggest road to the Postmaster
General for his approval. When at
least one mile has been completed to
the satisfaction of the Secretary Of
Agriculture. the Secretary of the
Treasury is authorized to pay to the
State one-half of the certified cost of
the construction, not to exceed ST, 500
for the half cost per mile.
"This insures that the road be act
ually built before the United States is
called upon to expend dollar, while
the maximum limit insures the United
States against the high cost of certain
constructions due to the peculiar local
conditions. In these two respects the
plan is superior to that of the Swanson
bill, which virtually makes the United
States partner with the State in the
undertaking; divides the cost between
the United States and the States, and
places no limit upon the expenditures.
This being national law, 1t is not fair
that the United States should be requir-
ed to pay for local difficulties Fof con-
struction.
The bill carries an appropriation of
$40, 000,0 900 annually to be apportioned
among the States according to the num-
Der of miles of public roads. This
would seem to be more just method
than according to the population, a
proposed in the Swanson bill But IN
estimating the cost for the purpose of
the Federal aid, charges for rights Of
way, damages to private property, etc.
are excluded, which is another guaran-
tee that the Federal Government:shall
pay only for the actual road construc-
ton. Any part of the annual appro-
priation not used in a given fiscal year
lapses.
Furthermore, in order to confine the
provisions to roads in the ordinary
meaning of the term, have excluded
streets in towns of over 2, 500 inhabi-
tants. There is a further provision re-
quiring the States to maintain the road
so built to standard of efficiency pre-
scribed by the Secretary of Agriculture,
under penalty of refusal of further
aid until the required standard of effici-
encv is re-established.