The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-05-09
CONGRESS INSISTS
ON UNCLE SANS AID
IN BUILDING ROADS
Senator Bourne Has Plan Of
Issuing Bonds to Guaran-
tee Similar Issues by
Various States

Washington, May Especial. THE
Congress Of the United States is de-
termined that the government shall aid
in the work of building good roads in
the country This government aid has
already commenced in a limited way.
and is contingent upon the state and
county in which the road is built max
lng an appropriation for a part of the
work. In other words, 1t provides in
the postoffice appropriation bill, which
was passed by the last Congress, that
whatever sum was furnished by the
government, the state would furnish
like sum and also the county. The gov
ernment gives third.
The appropriation made in the post
office appropriation bill carried $780,
coo. and after many conferences be-
tween the Postmaster General and the
secretary of Agriculture they have
reached plan for the distribution and
expenditure of this money Under the
plan agreed upon the states have been
divided into eight groups, each group
OF similar physical characteristics and
one of each of these eight states has
been selected for the experimental and
demonstration work provided in that
provision of the bill. The South At
lalitic and gulf states, beginning with
Vii ginia, have been put into one grouo.
OF this group North Carolina has been
selected as the state in which this DEM
onstration road work is to be under
taken and $4,000 has been set aside
for this purpose. The governor will he
tequested\ \to select the road to be con-
structed
Both the Postmaster General and the
Secretary of Agriculture are very anX-
ious to begin this work as soon as
possible so that they may file a re-
port based upon the data obtained rec
ommending comprehensive plan for
state and federal cooperation for the
construction of roads at the beginning
or the next session of Congress. so
that If the plan is approved by Con-
Sfess commensurate appropriation
may be made in the next postoffice ap-
preparation bill
congress has now a joint commit
tee ON federal aid in the construction
of post roads. which is headed by ex-
Senator Jonathan Bourne, Jr., as chair
man. Senator Bournes committee has
already outlined a comprehensive plan
and has bill which it will Suggest
to Congress which would involve the
consent of all the states to the plan.
IL is proposed that a billion dollars in
EoYernment bonds be sold a par, bear
Ing per cent interest, and each state
put into the federal treasury as col
lateral for its proportion it's own bonds
bearing per cent The proportion of
funds allowed each state is based upon
the taxable property, area, popula ton
ana mileage of roads in the state. This
pian simply proposes to utilize the su :
perior credit of the national govern
lnent FOR the purpose of road building
the government paying per cent in
terest while the states pay 4. The ex-
cess of l per cent interest paid by the
states would go toward creating a
sinking fund. which would eventually
take up the bonds of the states
1t is hardly probable that the Con-
gress would be willing to go into n
plan of this nature until there was a
fun test of public sentiment upon the
subject, and of course all the state leg
tslatures would have to act upon 1T,
and there would have to be a long
campaign of education to get the idea
tully "a asped by the public mind.
Under Senator Bournes plan, Ala
baina would be entitled to $4,000, and
EoHld. of course, put up that amount of
per cert bonds as collateral. Geor-
ga would get $4,000.