Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1916-05-18
Very truly yours,
ID. =. NGSLEY,
FEDERAL AID FOR STATE ROADS
up sident

What the late Senator Redfield Proc
tor foresaw and warned Vermont
against is apparently about to happen,
the appropriation of funds by Congress
the building of roads in States which
have not had the enterprise to provide
themselves with good highways This
move is made possible by the advent Of
automobile routes extending over the
whole country and the plea of providing
suitable roads for rural free delivery
routes.
AS a matter of fact, however, the
| funds appropriated by Congress must
be matched by the respective States and
the money spent where the State road
commissioners direct and The secretary
Of agriculture direct, so that rural free
delivery routes may have comparatively
little to do with the whole situation
outside of serving as a specious plea
in congressional discussion.
The Senate has Just passed the Bank
head bill, named after the chairman of
the committee on postoffices and post
roads while the House previously had
accepted the Shackleford bill of it's com
their basis in draft prepared by the
American Association Of State Highway
Officials which had the Endorsement Of
the American Automobile association.
The House bill omitted some things
which the Senate committee considered
should he included, and one of these
was area as one of the three factors
in the distribution of the federal money
appropriated, population and post road
mileage being the other items. The
| answer Of the Senate committee was a
substitute measure which did not suffer
much revision under discussion except
that rider was tackled on Ny the
insistence of the western senator's pro-
viding for million dollars annually for
the purpose of constructing roads ana
|
such money, however, to be paid back
| to the federal treasury from the
revenues derived from the forests, at
the rate of ten per cent year
During the discussion in the Senate it
was thoroughly emphasized that the
adoption of the proposed legislation
meant the return Of the national gov
eminent to a form of internal improve
mcnt which had been discontinued since
the building of the old Cumberland road.
Furthermore, if the cooperation between
the national government and the several
States proved as advantageous as was
commended, 1t was set forth there would
follow an increased quantity Of this aid
to the States.
Senator Borah of Idaho thus COM
) mented upon the subject: "When you
take into consideration the amount of
roads which must be built in the United
States, the amount which is appropriated
In this bill is iniinitesmal compared to
what will finally. be appropriated for
that purpose, 1t is simply a step in the
right direction"
In the concluding hours Of the discus
sion of the Senate bill, Senetor Smoot
Of Utah sought the adoption of the So
called Bourne substitute, a form Of loan
ing the national credit to the States so
; that they could issue road bonds that
would be replaced by federal bonds
The Senate bill provides for first
year appropriation Of $5OO0,OOO and an
, Increase each year of that amount until
S25,oOO,oO is reached, or grand total
| of s75,ooO,0oO The States contribute a
! like amount, and this $50, 600, 600 is ex-
! pended in the several States on what