New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-05-14

FEDERAL ROADS
LEGISLATION
Now Rests with the Senate
and the House of
Representatives.

The American Automobile Association
announces that Federal roads legisls
tion in the present Congress nov rest,
with the conferrees OF the Sense and
the House Of Representatives With in.
dicstions that an agreement is prscti.
cslly assured.
The Senate mas Just passed IN.
Bankhead bill, named after the chair
man Of the Committee on postoHiee,
and Post Roads, while the House pre-.
yiously had accepted the Shsckleford
bill OF it's Committee on Roads.
Both measures had their basis in
draft prepared By the American As.
ISOLATION Of State Highway officials.
which had the indorsement Of n,
American Automobile Association and
other organizations interested in high.
ways improvement.
The House bill omitted some things
which the Senate committee considered
should be included, one Of these being
the inclusion OF area a. one Of the
three factors in the distribution OF
Federal money appropriated, populs.
ton and post road mileage being n,
other items. The answer % the Sen.
ate committee was substitute meas
ure. which did not suffer much re-.
vision under discussion, except that
rider was tackled on by the insistenc.
Of the Western Senators. providing for
a million dollars annually for the pur.
pose Of constructing roads and trail.
in the national forest reserves. such
money. however. 10 be paid back 70 IN.
Federal Treasury from the revenues
derived from the forests 81 the rat.
Of 10 per cent year
During the discussion in the Sena,,
II was quite thoroughly emphasized
that the adoption OF the proposed leg
islation meant the return Of the Va.
tionsl government 10 form Of inter.
nal improvement which had been dis.
continued since the building OF the Old
Cumberland Road. Furthermore, II
the cooperation between the National
government and the several states
proved as advantageous as vas con.
tended, IL was set forth there would
follow an increased quantity Of this
aid to the states.
In the concluding hours Of the dis
cussion of the Senate bill, Senator
Smoot, OF Utah, sought the adoption Of
the so-called Bourne substitute, form
OF loaning the national credit to the
states so that they could issue road
bonds that would be replaced by Fed.
eral bonds.
Senator Townsend. Of Michigan. vho
in previous Congress had been favor.
able 10 the Bourne plan, practically
concluded its chances in a speech in
the course of which he said:
81 did advocate the Bourne bill sew
eral years ago, and at that time believed
II we could start IL under normal cor.
ditions il might have been made 70
work. IL would require a change %
laws and many Of the states and consti-
tutional amendments In others before
IL could be put into operation. That,
of course, would require considerable
time; In some instances, years. We are
proposing 10 spend the money belong
ing 70 the people Of the various states
Their experts have passed upon this
subject, and | think with quite as much
As theorists in the Senate
have done. Therefore. being In favor
of good roads legislation and being con
WINGED the bill before US is practical
and economical and means the building
of good roads. ! cannot vote for a sub
stitute which would mean the end OF
legislation and thus deprive the peo-
pie who have given years Of careful
study to this subject Of the opportunity
to have desired legislation"
The Senate bill provides for a first
year appropriation of s5,000,000 and an
increase each year of that amount until
S25 100000 is reached. or a grand total
of S75,00O,000. The states contribute a
like amount, and this $3.50. 100000 Is
expended in the several states on what
ever roads a state highway department
and the Secretary of Agriculture mg-
tually agree. The House bill called for
an annual appropriation which should
not exceed S25.000,000. II was gener-
ally admitted that any appropriation
should start with a comparatively small
amount and then gradually expand a.
the efficacy of the arrangement was de-