The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1916-08-27
DISCUSS RULES FOR OPERATING
FEDERAL AID ROAD ACT

Washington, Aug. 26.-Thirty-five
! states sent representatives to the Au-
gust conference in Washington called
by the secretary to discuss the rules
and regulations for the operation of
! the federal aid road act.
Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Mis-
souri,, New Hampshire, Nevada, North
Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington.
Wisconsin, South Carolina and Wyom-
ing were the thirteen states which
! were unrepresented. OF these, Geor-
gia, Texas and South Carolina have
yet to provide themselves with state
highway departments in order to quail
ify for participation in the $4,000, 600
federal appropriation, TO be expended
| in the next five years. Though In
diana also has to provide a state high
way commission, Governor Ralston
sent Carl G. Fisher to the confer
ence as the Hoosier spokesman.
In the course of his address Secre-
tarv of Agriculture Houston said:
"You highway officials represent the
states. / represent the federal gov
ernment. Together we are charged
with the execution of very difficult
and very important law.
"This law appeals to me as or es'
pecial Importance, not so much be-
cause it carries with It out OF the
federal treasury an appropriation OF
sS5. .OOO. 900, not because it will be met
by appropriation of $75,000,000, or
more out of the state funds, if all the
states accept this act but because
as great as is the aggregate, it is
relatively insignificant in comparison
with amounts the states are now an
nually eXpending and will spend dur
ing the period covered by the act.
"The main question that | am imme
diately concerned with, that the peo
pie of the union are Immediately con
cerned with, is whether we shall get
n dollars result for every dollar we
expend for roads. | am quite sure
that if we do so, and we can convince
the people that we have done so, they
will be willing to put much more mon
cv into good roads where they are
needed. Therefore, the matter OF ad
ministering this law, of devising good
road systems, of careful selection o
roads, of formulating projects, if de
veloping plans and specifications, o
having all matters considered on theil
merit by competent ment, seem to mt
TO lie at the root of this business.
"If. as the result of this act, th'
people are induced fully to realiz'
the necessity of placing skillful an'
experienced men in charge of roa'
building and road maintenance, ;
great advance will have been made
and the efforts of those who labore'
to secure the legislation will hav'
been rewarded"
Unofficially. there were also presen
at the conference men prominent il
the road movement and identified
with leading organizations interested
in the subject. Among these wer'
Chairman George c. Diehl, Of the goo'
roads board, and Executive Chairman
4. C. Batchelder, of the Americal
Automobile association; John y. Good
ell. of the American Highway associa
tion. and W. 4. Alsdorf. Of the Obi
Good Roads Federation.
1t is rather significant as Ind
eating the desire Of the several state
10 have road connections with on
another that are az the meeting o
the American Association of Stat
Highway Officials held the day pre-
yious to the conference IT was unan
mously adopted as the sentiment o
the meeting that the joint federal an
state funds should be expended upo
the main roads.
Secretary Houston has borroWe