Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1916-08-25
Federal Aid to Good Roads

Washington, Aug. 24.-At a meeting
of the state highway officials held
Aug. 16, 1916, in Washington. to DIS
cuss tentative rules and regulations
for carrying out the federal aid road
act, the secretary of agriculture made
the following statement: ;.
;if"The federal aid road act and an
other law-the cooperative agrlcui-
tural extension act-that the depart
r1ent is charged with the duty of en-
forcing, establish a new principle in
American government, the principle
of cooperation between federal and
state officers. They are the only laws
recall which recognize an dinslst
upon this principle. They are, there
fore, very significant. Heretofore
federal and state officers have too
frequently looked at one another
across the line, sometimes with APP
prehension as to what the other was
going to do or think, sometimes with
jealousy, not infrequently with fric-
ton. We serve the same people.
They have right to the best service
of the representatives OF both Jurls-
dictions. You represent the states.
| represent the federal government.
Together, we are charged with the
execution of very difficult and very
important law.
81 need not emphasize before you
the importance of good roads. Most
intelligent people who think about
good roads know that they are essen
;,,;, al n
proper community development, espe-
cially to the development of rural
life, to efficient production and or
derby marketing of farm products, to-
good schools, and to the development
of a satisfactory rural life.
"Many people, however, do not APP.
ipreciate this, and | have occasionally
met road officers who, when the i'm.
portance of good roads was empha-
sized, have said: Yes, but they cost
50 much Apparently, they have not
thought how much more bad roads
cost, not only in dollar sand cents,
but also in all those indirect ways
for which one can make no definite,
calculation
Large Expenditure For Roads.
"This law appeals to me as of espe-
cial Importance, not so much because
1t carries with it out Of the federal
treasury an appropriation Of $S5,00O,-
600, not because it will be met by
an appropriation of $75,O00,000 more
out of state funds, if all the states
as is the aggregate, it is relatively
insignificant in comparison with
amounts the states are now annually
expanding and will spend during the
period covered by the act.
81 remember that, on one occasion,
when l was speaking to a public Off
cial about the road bill and suggested
that we ought to begin with modest
initial appropriation of three. four, or
five millions of dollars, he expressed
surprise and said that such an amount
would not get US anywhere; that the
expenditure by the natio nOf few
millions of dollars for roads would be
merely trifing with the matter.
asked him If he knew what the people
of the nation were contributing annu-
ally for road building, that the ma
ton was already expendin gthe equiv
alent of nearly half of what the Pen
anna canal has cost. OF course he did
not. And the majority of people do
not realize that the nation is expend-
ing approximately $250,00O, 900 a year
for roads.
AtDoIIars Result For Each Dollar.
"The main question that I am i'm
meidiately concerned with, that the
people of the nation are Immediately
concerned with, is whether we shall
get a dollars result for every dol
lar we expend for roads. / am quite
sure that if we do so and we can con-
vince the people that we have done
so, they will be willing to put much
more money into good roads where
they are needed. Therefore, the mat
ter of administering this law, Of de-
vising good roads systems, of careful
selection of roads, of formulating pro.
jects, of developing plans and speci
ficatiOns, Of having all matters con.
sidered on their merit by competent
men, seem to me to lie at the root of
this business. If, as the result of this
act, the people are induced fully tc
realize the necessity of placing skill
full and experienced men in charge OF
road building and road maintenance
a great advance will have been made
and the eqorts of those who labored
to secure the legislation will have
been rewarded.
Employment of Experts.
II assume, as matter of neces
eity, that this law will require the
employment in every state of experts
of real experts. This word is very
much misused and abused, as the
word, 'theorist,' is. I frequently heal
contrast drawn between the theor
lists and the practical men. There is
no basis for it.. The classification
ought to ibe into good theorists ant
bad theorists, of practical men an(
impractical men. A really good the
orist is highly practical land so i!
a real expert. The public is some
what suspicious of experts, because
/ think, SO many people pose as ex
perts who are not. When the publ,
sets an expert aside, it is worth while
to inquire carefully into the expert
claims and competency.
II repeat that this act will neces
state trained intelligence in the ser
vice of the state, as well as in tn,
service Of the federal government
The act requires the state to accep
It. That, as understand it, implie
the assent Of the state to every pro
vision Of the act. One of these pro
f. -. =