The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1916-11-08
EXPERT EXPLAINS
GOOD ROADS BILL:
How Government VIII Improve
Na'IOn's Highways.
STATES CARRY HALF BURDEN
$75,ooo,oo Will Be Taken From Ma
tionaI Treasury in Next Five Years
and Equal Amount From States.
Measure Has Been Passive For Sew
enty five Years.

A. G.. Batchelder Of Washington, exec
utive chairman Of the American Auto
mobile association, national authority
on good roads, has written the follow
ing statement on what the new good
roads law, appropriating SO 100000 for
the improvement Of public highways,
means to this country:
when the congress of the United
States in 1906 passed an act which met
the approval of President Thomas JEFF
ferson and provided for the Ia ing out
and construction of a road from Cum
berland, Md, to Ohio, the commission
ers intrusted with the work were given
81 a day il full compensate for their
services and expenses. They were
authorized to employ one surveyor, two
chainmen and one marker, the chain
men receiving So and the marker 81
per. day. The first stagecOach bearing
United States mail from Cumberland
to Wheeling Travelled over this road
Aug. l, 1918 And it continued a fed
eral artery of communication until be-
tween 1881 and 1914 when its parts
were taken over by the states through
which it passed.
July II. 1916, President Wilson i'll
the presence Of a contingent Of good
roads enthusiasts thus spoke:
81 take n great deal of pleasure in
signing this bill and having a part in
the good work that has been done, par
ticularly because it tends to thread the
various parts of the country together
and assists the farmer in his inter
course with Others
"The Bankhead Shackleford good
roads bill after more than three
fourths of a century of passive policy
accentuated the return of the federal
government to the policy Of aiding the
states in the construction of public
highways.
States Must Carry Half the Burden.
From the federal treasury in the pc
Rod of five years $75.0O0,O00 is to be
distributed among the several states
on the condition that they contribute a
like amount, and the joint money is
spent upon whatever roads the state
highway departments and the secre-
tary Of agriculture mutually agree
upon. In addition, the measure car
ried 100000 for the construction Of
roads in and adjacent to national for
est reserves.
ut should be noted that this federal
cooperation with the several states
safeguards the expenditure of the mon
ey IL a manner totally different from
that contained in any other apprOpria-
ton from the federal treasury While
the duly constituted state authority
suggests the roads which are to be i'm
ment. the federal authority exercises a
supervising power over the whole pro
ceeding. Furthermore, # the state does
not properly maintain the road that
has been constructed with national and
state funds its appOrtionment for the
succeeding year is withheld until the
first built highway receives the needed
repair to bring it up to the standard
established.
In order to qualify for any of the
federal money state must equip if
self with a highway department Thus
it is that Indiana, South Carolina,
Georgia and Texas must provide this
machinery within a four year period
or forfeit their allotment, the money
in the meantime remaining in the fed
eraI treasury.
Dad CuefapoN