New Britain herald., 1916-07-17
$S5,000,0O0 IS
 NOW IN ROAD FUND Of This S75,OOO,O0O Is Available
 for Rural Post Roads

made available for the construction of rural roads, by the passage of the federal aid road bill which became a law on July II, 1916. Of this sum- SIo,OOO,OOO is to be expended for the construction of rural post roads under cooperative arrangements with the hlghWay departments of the various states, and $10,00O,OOO is to be ex- pended for roads and trails within or partly within the national forests The act limits the federal govern ment's share in road work in CO., operation with the states to fifty per cent of the estimated cost of con- struction. Federal aid may be ex- tended to the construction of any rural post road, excluding all streets or roads in towns having a popula- tlon of 2,5O0 or more except the DOT t1ons of such streets or roads on which the houses are, on an average, more than 200 feet apart.
 Five million dollars is made avail able for expenditure during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1917, and there after the appropriation is increased at the rate of five millions a year until 1921, when the sum provided is twenty-five millions, making a total of seventy-five millions. In addition, an appropriation of one million dollars a year for ten years, total of ten mil lion dollars, is made available for the development of roads and trails who'll ly or partly within the national for ests.
 The class of roads to be built and the method of construction are to be mutually agreed upon by the secre- tary of agriculture and the state high way departm
 AppOrtionment Among States.
 The act provides that after making necessary deductions for administer ing it's provisions,-nOt to exceed 3 per cent. of the appropriation for any one fiscal year,-the secretary Of agriculture shall apportion the re- mainder 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 population of each state bears to the total population of all the states.
 One-third in the raatio which the mileage 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.
 Estimates of Funds Needed.
 Project statements setting forth the proposed construction of any rural post road or roads in a state are to be submitted by the state highway department to the secretary of agri- culture, and upon approval by the secretary all necessary surveys, plans, specifications and estimates must be furnished. The roads projected must be of a substantial character, and items covering engineering, inspection, and unforeseen contingencies are not to exceed ten per cent. of the total es timated 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 sec retary of agriculture is given authori- ty in his discretion to make partial pawn as the work progresses, but not in excess of the federal govern ment's pro rata share of the labor and material which have been actual ly put into construction work, nor in excess of S10,0OO per mile, exclusive of the cost of bridges of more than twenty feet clear span. All construc- ton work is subject to the inspection and approval of the secretary of agri- culture.
 States Charged With Maintenance.
 The various states securing aid un- der the provisions of the act are charged with the making of needed repairs and the preservation of a req sonably smooth surface, considering the type of the road, but are not obligated to make extraordinary re- pairs or undertake reconstruction. If after due notice, a state fails to main- tain 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 $10,000,000 is made available in yearly appropriations of s1,OOO,OO0 for the cooperative con- struction and maintenance of roads and trails within or partly within the national forests by the Urited States states, territories, or counties in which the forests lie. Expenditures for this purpose are not to exceed ten per cent. of the value of the timber and forage resources available for in- come upon the national forests where the roads or trails are constructed Beginning with the next fiscal year after an agreement is made between the secretary of agriculture and a state, territory, or county for the CO., operative construction of such roads, ten per cent. of all revenues from such forest are to be applied toward reimbursing the United States govern ment for funds expended in road work until the whole amount ad- vanced shall have been returned.
 Purpose in the Forests.
 Tha objects sought through feder- al aid to roads in the national forests are thus explained by the secretary of agriculture in his annual report for 1915 in which he recommends such legislation as well as federal aid to ru7