Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1916-11-01
GREAT PRECAUTIONS
TO GUARD ROAD FUND
No Lax Methods In Expending
$75,000,O 900 Authorized By
Last Congress.

Washington - (by ma,D - Elaborate
plans to prevent the diversion into i'm
proper channels of any part of the $75.-
$1,000 which the federal government
Is to spend in cooperation with states
On good roads within the next five
years have been made by Logan Waller
Page, director of the office of public
roads and rural engineering which will
supervise the work.
The government is determined. of
ffcials say, thai there shall be 10 rep
! etition of the lax methods and waste
which ave characterized the building
Of Oad in many sections and that a
| dollars worth of roadbctl shall be con-
structed for every dollar spent. Fur
| thor, the public roads office is prepar-
ing to see to it that the roads for which
the government money is spent are
| places where the traffic demand is the
heaviest and not where politicians or
ethcrs desire them.
The plans designed to prevent abuses
! are covered largely in rules and regu-
lations promulgated by Secretary
Houston. of the department of Agri-
| culture. under authority conferred by
the federal aid road act. The rules.
| which outline the methods by which the
federal government shall aid the states
In the construction of highways. pro
vide that detailed information in ref
erence TO the proposed construction
and maintenance shall be furnished to
the secretary of agriculture before any
agreements are made.
When the plans of Il state for road
building, accompanied by q request for
federal aid are received, they will be
fully investigated by government
agents. and if acceptable the state will
receive from the government it's APP
portionment of the appropriation made
rOr Tho ,,1rnrcn IYpo1ay. tho for,nc nf
the act the federal government pays the
bill for one-half the cost and the state
pays the other half. More than a
score of states already have indicated
their intention TO ask FOR federal aid
INC two. California and Connecticut.
ave filed formal applications.
T. Project statements made to the de-
partment, according to the rules and
regulations. are required to contain
"al information necessary to enable
the secretary to ascertain la) whether
the project conforms to the require
ments Of the act: lb) whether adequate
funds. or their equivalent. are or will
be available by or on behalf of the
! state for construction; Ic) what pur-
| pose the project will serve and how il
cor-clates with other highway work OF
the state: (d) the administrative con
trol of. and responsibility for. the pro-
ject. 1al the ~practicabilitN n econ
| omy of the project from an engineer
ing and construction standpoint; t)
the adequacy of the plans and pro
visions for proper maintenance of
! roads: and (g) the approximate
amount OF federal aid desired.'
With zach statement there must he
| submitted for the approval of the sec
retary copie; CT the forms of contract:
together with all documents referred
to therein. and the contractors bond.
Each project statement also must he
ACCOMPANIED 10y Il sketch map showing
the location of the proposed project and
( the main contiguous transportation
features, and suitable samples OF ma
teriaI must be submitted whenever re-
| quested. Where amy part of the cost
of u project is to be furnished by sub
| divisions of a state. certified copies OF
resolutions OF orders respecting the
funds must he submitted.
Rights of way and damages to ad-
joining property have to be paid for by
the states. and the federal government
will not pay any part of the expense
of making surveys. plans. specifica-
lions or estimates prior to the begin
ning of construction.
The regulations require, too, that no
part of the federal money be paid until
it has been shown to the satisfaction
of the secretary that adequate means
were employed prior to the beginning
OF the construction to insure economi-
cal and practical expenditure. Prior
to the acceptance Of any bid, sufficient
opportunity must be given the office OF
public roads to have a representative
present if it so desires.
If a contract hould be awarded to
any other than the owest responsible
bidder. the government will not pay
more than it's pre- rata of the lowest
bid. unless it can be satisfactorily
shown that it was advantageous to the
work to accept the higher bid. Copies
of all contracts must be certified by
the, respective state highway depart
ments and furnished the office of pub
Tic roads. and specifications and plans
must be made part OF all contracts.
Unless otherwise specified in writing
by the secretary of agriculture. ma
terials for construction. prior to use,
must be tested for conformity with
specifications.
Certified vouchers showing the
amounts expended upon any project
and the mount claimed to be due from
the federal government must be sub
mitted upon the completion OF the work
or if the secretary of agriculture has
determined to make payments as con-
structton progresses. at intervals OF
not less rhan n month.
The office of public roads will. as
far as is practicable. endeavor to have
the roads of one state with
those OF another. The effort will be to
have the roads continuous in the states
and patches here and patches there will
not be constructed out Of any of the
federal noney unless they should be
in localities where the traffic is heavy
in some cases plans for branch
ing out from market or industrial CEN
tiers to thickly populated sections
% be acceptable to the government
regardless Of whether they onnec
with other market or industrial cen.