The Dolores star. [volume] (Dolores, Montezuma County, Colo.) 1901-current, 1916-07-21
Appropriated For Roads.

Appropriated For Roads.
THE following letter from Edward
T. Taylor was crowded out of last
weeks issue of The Star.
July 6. 1916.
My dear Editor:-
After seventy-fve years of constant
effort on the part of the farmers Of
of this country, Congress has just
passed what Is known as the bill pro-
viding for national aid to Good Roads.
! feel that every one in Colorado will
be interested in knowing definitely the
direct benefits that our State will re-
ceive by reason Of the passage Of this
The measure first appropriates
IS, OOO. 600 for the fiscal year beginning
July l, 1916; $l0,OOO,OOO for 1917;
$l5. 600. 900 for 1918; $50, OOO, 900 for
1913; and SIS, 600. 600 for 1920, which
sums are to be expended by the Secre-
tary OF Agriculture, cooperating with
the state highway departments, in the
construction Of rural roads over which
the United States mails are or NAV be
hereafter transported.
In order to obtain the benefits of this
act the state must by act of the iegis-
iatQre assent to its terms, but until the
legislature meets the governor can as
sent. And the state must also con-
tribute at least an equal amount in
money, material or labor toward the
construction of any proposed road.
The money appropriated by this act
will be apportioned among the various
states according to three factors: One
third IN the ratio which the area of the
state bears to the total area of all the
states; one-third according to popula-
uon, and one-third according to the
mileage of rural delivery and star
routes compared with the total milage
OF such routes in the United States.
Union, 3. 40 per cent of the area; .S72
per cent of the population, and .8i6 per
cent OF the postal route mileage of the
United States. BY consolidating these
three factors and dividing by three we
find that Colorado is entitled to l. 736
per cent of the total appropriations
made under this act, which means that
the following sums of money will be
appropriated for road construction in
Colorado at the beginning of the next
five fiscal years: 1916, $S6, 800; 1917,
$l73, 900; 1918, $3.50, 400; 1919, $347, 200;
1920. $43, 600. Total, 81, 800, 600. In
other words, 81, 1902, 600 will be con-
tributed from the Federal Treasury to
assist in building highways in Colo
RADIO during the ensuing five years.
But this is not all the benefits that
Colorado will receive by the enactment
of this legislation, for section 8 Of this
act, which in reality Incorporates bodi-
ly my general forest reserve road con
struction bill, H. r. 10, 400, appro-
PIRATES one million dollars each year
for the next ten years, TO be expended
under the supervision of the Secretary
Of Agriculture, upon the request Of
the state or county nuthuzjtieS, IN The
|censtSuetion andk M is,1eu,o mr. ojf 49,
within, or partly within, the national
forest. The states or the counties In.
which the forest reserves are located
are required to enter into cooperative
agreements with the Department of
Agriculture to pay for the roads that
they want built upon basis equitable
both to them and the United States
The Federal Government is to be reim-
6ursed for the money thus advanced by
deposltIng in the Treasury ten per cent
OF the revenues received from the tim
Der and forage resources of the forests
wherein the roads are located until the
loan is paid. This forest reserve pro-
vision in no way interferes with the
present law whereby the state and
counties are now receiving for road
and school purposes Is per cent of the
gross receipts of the national forests.
The total area of all the national
forests of the United States is
l35, 1856, 1853 acres, of which little more
than one tenth, or about 1900, 600
are located in Colorado. The national
forests of our state are as valuable in
timber and forage resources generally
as reserves in other states, and it is
therefore reasonable to assume that
Colorado will receive the benefits
OF this forest reserve provision in the