The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1914-01-05
NATIONAL + POLICY
Of ROAD BUILDING
Investigation Shows That Between
Twenty And Thirty Millions Dol
lars Can Be Expended Annually
SEVERAL BILLS ARE INTRODUCED
Hayden Measure Weld Give The
State Complete Control Of Con-
struction, Government Advising

From Congressman c. H. Tavenner
Washington-Jan. 5-Farmers
want improvement of roads leadine
to markets. Improved roads from
the farms to the villages and towns
and their railroads stations will re.
duce costs of transportation and helI
bring down the cost of living. The
National Grange and other farmers
organization are urging the feder-
al government to adopt this sort OF
a road policy Business before plea
sure" is the motto of the farmers.
Taking a Numerically opposite
view are the associations of automo-
bile owners. These would have the
government go into the construction
Of trunk lines Of model highways.
The cost would be terrific, running
literally into the billions of dollars
1t is the theory of the adherents of
formulate a national policy Of road
construction of these main arteries
in the highway system would lead
local communities to connect up with
the model roads, thus stimulating
the construction of good roads every
where.
Somewhere between these two op-
post views the governments solu-
tion is likely to be found. The roads
Committee of the House is trying to
formulate a national policy of road
building. 1t is generally understood
that between $2O,OOO,OOO and $780,
100000 annually can be expended
for this purpose. The bill that will
FINALLY be adopted will probably be
a compromise which will aid in the
construction of model roads and at
the same time pay attention to the
market roads of the farmers.
Congressman Carl Hayden, of Arr
IONA, has introduced a carefully pre-
pared roads bill that emEodies sew
eral admirable provisions. The bill
Is frankly a compromise between the
two extreme views on road construc-
ton by the government. The sum OF
$25,0O0,OO0 is appropriated annual
ly, one half of this amount to be ap-
portloned to the states according to
their representation in Congress, and
the other half according to their
mileage of post roads. This system
would give an automatic apportion-
ment and relieve the roads move
ment from any suspicion Of logrol-
ling
The Hayden bill endeavors to give
uniformity to state institutions
which would deal with the govern
ment in the work of road construc-
ton. The smallest apportionment of
money for any state would be $780,
900. For every dollar contributed by
the federal government the state
must contribute another. This double
contribution Mr.. Hayden believes
would safeguard the government
against the waste of its money by
state highway departments, since III
order to waste the federal funds the
state contribution, raised by direct
taxation, would also have to be vast
ed.
He would give the state complete
control of the work, having the gov
eminent road scientists act only in
an advisory capacity. In order. to
get money under the terms of the
Hayden bill, state must first create
a highway department and raise a
state road fund. The bill also pro-
vides for uniform system of book
keeping to be devised by the Secre-
tary of Agriculture and adopted by
each state, so that the federal au-
thorities would have no difficulty
in finding out how it's money was
spent.
The Hayden bill has been favor
ably commented upon by members of
the Roads ommittee. .-.