The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1916-09-14
EXPERT EXPLAINS
GOOD ROADS BILL
HOW GOVERNMENT AND STATES
TOGETHER WILL IMPROVE
NATIONS HIGHWAYS
STATES MUST CARRY HALF OF BURDEN
Highway Department Must be Main
tanned by Each State-French
Plan is Suggested

A. G. Batchelder, of Washington, ex-
ecutive chairman of the American
Automobile association, a national au-
thority on good roads, has written the
fol owing statement on what the new
good roads law, appropriating $751;
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 laying out
and construction of a road from Cum
berland, Md, to Ohio, the commission
ers intrusted with the work were given
81 a day in full compensation for their
services and expenses. They were au-
thorized 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 Cumb .rland
to Wheeling travelled over this road
August l, 1918. And it continued a fed
eral artery of communication until be-
tween 1881 and 1874, when its parts
were taken over by the states through
which it passed.
July II, 1916, President Wilson in
the presence of a contingent of good
roads enthusiasts thus spoke:
az take a 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 %accentu-
ated the return of the federal govern
ment 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
period of five years $75,OOO 900 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
imam In aIditinn tho rnanQI1r0 c1 r.
ried $40, 900 900 for the construction OF
roads in and adjacent to national fro
est reserves.
1T should be noted that this federal
cooperation with the several states
safeguards the expenditure of the mon
ey in a mi totally different from
that contained in any other a%ppropria-
ton from the federal teasury. While
the duly constituted state authority
suggests the roads which are to be i'm
proved and the manner of improve
ment the federal authority exercises a
supervising power over the whole pro-
ceeding. Furthermore, if the state
does not properly maintain the road
that has been constructed with ma
tional and state funds it's apportion-
ment for the succeeding year is with
held until the first built highway re-
ceives the needed repair to bring it UP
to the standard established.
"In order to qualify for any of the
federal money a state must equip itself
with a highway department. Thus it is
that Indiana, South Carolina, Georgia
and Texas must provide this machin-
cry within a four year period or for
felt their allotment, the money in the