The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1914-06-01
STATE TO Be
SMALLEST unit

In federal a legislation, 1t Is a
practical certainty that the National
government will recognize the state as
the. smallest unit with which it will
deal. When the senate postoffices and
post roads committee reports the meas
ure which came to 1t from the house,
1t Is predicted that the so-called roads
rental clause will be missing, and that
division among the several states, will
be expended on whatever roads the
governor and the secretary Of agricul-
ture may decide. Through it's national
good roads board, the American Auto
mobile association has greatly concern
ed itself with the highways question
approached from a national standpoint,
and Chairman George C. Diehl COM
ments thuSly on the present situation:
"The basis of a~pportionment of fed
eral appropriations to the respective
states is a matter upon which there is
very little disagreement, and it is
post road mileage will be the factors
finally adopted for determining the
proportion of federal money to which
each state will be entitled.
begin the program of federal-aid with
a modest appropriation, probably not
to exceed $4,000, 900. This sum, togeth-
er with an equal amount to be provid-
ed by the state, will involve an expsn-
diture of $4,000 900 during the first
years operation. To start with a mod
est appropriation and increase it as
conditions warrant would be to insure
the success OF the policy 6rom the OUT
sci.
"The question which has threatened
to become the rock upon which the
federal-aid good road forces would
split is that of federal inspection. There
are legislators who stand aghast at
the possibility of another great federal
bureau growing to such proportions as
to cast its shadow upon local auton-
4 nfn " TNhnx ~rAfn ---.I
ling Of states rights" the stirling
Of local initiative and endeavor, and
the growth Of a political machine. If
federal inspection involved these con-
ana highly undesirable policy. AS a
matter of fact. federal inspection, un-
der reasonable legislative restriction,
invelvose no menace whatever to local
liberties.
THE weight Of precedent. and the
common sense of congress are suffi-
GENTLY powerful to make certain the
inclusion In any federal-aid bill that
may be passed of an adequate amount
of government supervision.
Federal revenues come from all of
the states, and the right of a state to
do as 1T pleases with Its own property
what 1t pleases with property that
| comes from all of the states. To say
that federal inspection Of work for
which the federal government pays a
~ oIlho SoSt - eltnST unWarranJ-
ed Or unW1se, Is to say that the federal
| government should from year to wear
make appropriations for specific pur-
poses. and yet take no steps whatever
to ascertain whether the money lie an
piled to such purposes.
THE contention hat federal-aid un-
der a plan Of federal inspection will
sti1e local self-help, is MOI borne out
by experiences in the respective states
where an analogous plan has been ia
erect Tor some years between states
and counties. In 1904 the total ex-
penditure on public roads throughout
the United States amounted to $780,
100000. In 1913 the total expenditure
in spite of the fact that state partici-
| patton in road work has a It's spirit
of greatest development since 1904, and
that the total expenditure of state
! amounted to about $155,000. 000."