The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1916-08-27
FEDERAL AID ROAD
ACT IS DISCUSSED

skillful and experienced men In charge
of road building and road maintenance,
a great advance will have been made
and the efforts of those who labored
to secure the Legislation will have
been rewarded
Employment Of Experts.
IL assume, as a matter of necessity,
that this law will require the employ
ment in every state Of real experts,
experts. This word ID very much mis-
used and abused, MS the word 'theor-
list is. frequently hear a contrast
drawn between the theorists and tho
practical men. There Is no basis for
1t. The classification ought to be into
good theorists and bad theorists, OF
practical men and impractical mon.
A really good theorlst is highly prac-
teal; and so Is n real expert. Tho
public is somewhat suspicious Of ex-
ports, because, think, so many peo-
pie pose as experts who are not. When
the public sets an expert aside, it Is
worth while to inquire carefully into
the experts claims and competency.
~ repeat that this act will necessI-
tate trained intelligence in the serv-
ice of the state as well as in the serv-
ice Of the federal government The
act requires the state to accept 1t,
That, as understand It, implies the
assent of the state to every provision
of the act, One Of these provisions Is
that projects, plans, specifications and
contracts shall be submitted and ap-
proved; and have suspicion that
plans and specifications will not boz
approved unless they are submitted
by people who know about such
things. So the assent Of the state
involves tho calling Of trained men
into the service in every state which
is now without them.
"The law involves another thing,
the pledge Of the faith Of the state toI
meet in full the federal appropriation
for the entire period covered by the
act. The state Legislature may not be
able to appropriate money one year
for the whole period covered by the
act, but it can pledge the faith OF the
state to meet the financial provisions
of the act for the period covered byI
It. This is as it should be. 1t would
be unfortunate II it were otherwise.
1t would be wasteful not to make plans
at the outset for the full period Gov
cred by 1t, This is as 1t should be. 1t
would be unfortunate II 1t were other
wise. 1t would be wasteful not toI
make plans at the outset for the full
period covered by the act; 1t would
mean pIece-meal road building and
much dissipation of effort and misdi-
rection OF funds. These requirements
hold whether the state as such, under
the existing law, may engage in road
or not. The provision that
where the state may not engage I'M
highway improvement the money may
be secured II counties raise an amount
sufficient to meet the apportionment
to the state involves the necessity on
the part Of such counties OF raising
an amount sufficient to meet the full
apportionment for the state, the ex-
istence Of a highway commission, and
compliance with all the other terms
Of the act. I speak Of this because
there are evidences that individual
counties think that, II they raise a.
certain sum of money, they will OF
necessity get corresponding sum
from the federal treasury. That Is
not my construction Of the act and
not the one that will be likely to pre-
vail.
"The duty will rest upon you gem
tlemen who represent tho states Of In
forming the people as to the meaning
Of this legislation and as to the pro-
cedure under 1t, because the initia-
tive under the law lies with you. We
are directed to cooperate with you;
with the state through the state high
way department. 1t is your duty, II
your state accepts the law, to agree
with us on roads to be constructed and
to submit projects, plans and sDecih-
cations. Therefore, individuals, asso-
Citations, and counties will Of neces-
sity take up such matters directly with
YOU, and we shall hear from them
through you for the most part.
Roads and Trails for Forests.
"There is a section Of the act which
contemplates only parts Of the coun-
try. The nation owns great areas, es-
pecially in our western states, and Is
acquiring areas in certain others Of
our states, The nation owes a duty
to the people living in the national
forests or near them. In many In
stances communities struggling for