The Holbrook news., 1915-01-15
MONEY FOR GOOD ROADS
TO TACK APPROPRIATION
 ON POSTOFFTCE BILL
BY ARTHUR SEARS HENN1NG.

! ANAIAOAAoA SOO0 LOCAAo lOS A0A0SAOAl may be enacted at this session of congress.
 It was stated at the capital to- day than the delegates to the good roads congress now as- sembled in Chicago are vigorously urging their senators and repre- sentatives to initiate the federal aid plan at this session.
 The senate postoffice commit tee rejected the Shackleford mea- sure passed by the house appro- priating $25. GOO, 900 to be appor- toned to the forty eight states on the basis of the highway de- mands of each and conditioned upon the local appropriation of an equal amount.
 The Shackleford bill was as- sailed as unscientifc and smack ing of the political "pork barrel. |" So the senate committee substi- tuted Senator Bryan's measure, the principles of which had been evolved by Senator Bourne, of Oregon. chairman of the joint committee which has devoted two years to a study of the highway problem in this country.
 MT. Bourne's plan, as embodi- ed in the bill favorably reported by the senate committee. pro- poses that the federal govern ment shall issue not more than $500. 900, 900 of 3 percent highway bonds and apportion the proceeds upon the basis of highway needs, to the states desiring to take ad- vantage of federal aid.
 Each state may obtain 20 per cent of its allotment each year by depositing with the government  it's 4 per cent state bonds.
 As the states pay interests on their bonds the government sets aside three-fourths of the amount for the payment of the interest on the government highway bonds; the remaining one-fourth of the interests paid by the states goes into a sinking fund. compounded annually at 3 per cent, for the retirement of the government bonds. At the end of the fifty years the state bonds are cancelled without payment of the principal.
 Before the postoffice appro- priatlon bill comes before the senate the Bourne committee will have submitted it's report. The report contains exhaustive infor- nation upon the cost and pro- cesses of road construction in this country and in Europe.
 The cardinal points of differ ence between the European system and that in force in this country are:
 l. The European system pro- vides continuous maintenance as compared with occasional or inter- maintenancei in this coun- try.
 2. It provides systematic main- tenance Tn that each section of road is a part of a system and the work done is in line with a general plan worked out by high CT officials and correlated with all other sections.
 3. It provides skilled service; the men who patrol the roads are constantly employed and make the care of roads their life work.
 A distinctive feature of the French system is the school of roads and bridges to which gra- duates of the polytechnic schools are admitted after a competitive examination. The students upon graduation become under engi- neers in the French road service.
 The reports on the cost of ori- ginal construction and mainten- ance of roads vary widely. The cost per mile averages from $8,- 900 to SIS, 900 Oln the varlnus coun- tries and the maintenance per mile runs from S20O to $4O0.
 The committee, basing it's esti-