The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1916-07-20
FEDERAL AID FOR
RURAL ROADS
How the SS5,OOO.OOO Recently APP
prOpriated Shall Be Spent.

The sum of $85, OOO 600 of Federal
funds is made available for the con-
struction Of rural roads. by the passage
of the Federal Aid Road Bill which be-
came law on July II, 1916. OF this
sum, SIS. 900, 900 is to be expended for
the construction of rural post roads IN
der cooperative arrangements with the
highway departments of the various
states, and $4,000, 900 is to be expend-
ed for roads and trails within or partly
within the national forests. The act
limits the Federal government share
in road work in cooperation with the
states to so per cent of the estimated
cost of construction. Federal aid may
be extended to the construction of a
new post road, excluding all streets OF
roads in towns having population of
$500 or more except the portions OF
such streets or roads on which the
houses are, on an average, more than
200 feet apart.
Five million dollars is made available
for expenditure during the fiscal year
ending June 30, 1917, and thereafter the
appropriation is increased at the rate of
five millions year until 1921. when the
sum provided is twenty-five millions,
making total of seyenty-fve millions.
In addition, an appropriation of one
million dollars year for ten years, a
total of ten million dollars, is made
available for the development of roads
and trails wholly or partly within the
national forests.
The class roads to be built and the
method of construction are to be mu.
tuallY agreed upon by the Secretary of
Agriculture and the state highway de-
partments.
The act provides that after making
necessary deductions for administering
ITS provisions, not to exceed 3per cent
Of the appropriation for any one fiscal
year, the Secretary of Agriculture
shall apportion the remainder of each
years appropriation in the following
manner:
One-third in the ratio which the area
of each state bears to the total area of
all the states.
One third in the ratio which the pop
ulation of each state bears to the total
population of all the states.
One-third in the ratio which the mil
cage of rural delivery routes and star
routes in each state bears to the total
mileage of rural delivery routes and
star routes in all the states.
Project statements setting the pro-
posed construction of any rural post
road or roads In state are to be sub
mitted by the state highway department
to the Secretary of Agriculture, and up
on approval by the Secretary all neces-
sary surveys, plans, specifications and
estimates must be furnished. The roads
projected must be of a substantial
character, and items covering engineer
ing, inspection and unforeseen conting-
encies are not to exceed ten per cent
of the total estimated cost of the work.
Upon completion of the work as ap-
proved by the secretary, the amount
set aside for the project is to be paid to
the proper state official. The Secretary
of Agriculture is gwen authority in his
discretion to make partial payments as
the work progresses, but not in excess
of the Federal governments pro rata
share of the labor and material which
have been actually put Into construc-
ton work, not in excess of $40, 900 per
mile, exclusive of the cost of bridges of
more than 20 feet clear span. All con-
struction work is subject to the in
spection and approval of the Secretary
of Agriculture.
The various states securing aid under
the provisions of the act are charged
with the making of needed repairs and
the preservation of a reasonably smooth
surface, considering the tope of the
road, but are not obligated to make ex-
traordinary repairs or undertake re-
construction. If after due notice,
state fails to maintain a federally aided
road properly. the secretary is required
to refuse further aid until the road has
been properly repaired at state expense.
The sum of $40, 900, 900 is made avail
able IN yearly appropriations of 81, 0OO,-
900 for the cooperative construction
and maintenance of roads and trails
within or partly within the national
forests by the United States, states,
territories or counties in which the for
ests lie. Expenditures for this purpose
are not to exceed ten per cent of the
value of the timber and forage re-
sources available for income upon the
forests where the roads or
trails are constructed. Beginning with
the next fiscal year after an agreement
is made between the Secretary of Ao-