Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1916-07-24
Great ROAD BUILDING
ERA ABOUT TO BEGIN
Estimated That $500, O0O,-
900 Will be Spent in
Five Years
FOUR STATES
TO QUALIFY

WASHINGTON. D. C., July "a
Conservatively estimated s15O0,ooO.-
600 will be expended by the Federal
Government the state governments
the counties and the townships in the
next five years on road construction
and maintenance, or an aytrage Of
$3.50, 100000 yearly.
It is around the $4,000, 900 jointly
supplied by the National Government
and the several States. half and half
that this enormous attention to the
arteries OF communication of the en-
tire country will revolve. The roads
receiving the joint attention of Fed
eral and State authorities undoubted-
ly will serve as example highways
FOR the work which will range from
the big trunk lines down to the little
road reaching the farmers way
back on the hill"
When. on July II. President Wood
row Wilson, in the presence OF rep
resentatives of farmers organiza-
tions the American Automobile AS
ISOLATION and the American ASCOT
alton OF the State Highway Officials,
signed the Bankhead-S hackleford bill,
be thus commented:
Il take a great deal Of pleasure in
signing this bill and having part
In the good work that has been done.
particularly because II tends to thread
the various parts of the country to-
gether and assist tho farmer In his
intercourse with others"
While II il true that the linking TO-
rether of main county and state roads
encourages distance travelling. the mo-
florists have considered this fact as a
natural sequence of the general devel-
ppment and not to be primarily sought.
ultimately. we received credit for
this broad Interpretation Of the situa-
ton" saws former A. a. A. President
John A. Wilson. "and this recognition Is
made apparent by the fact that the pen
used in the signing of the bill now re-
poses in the A. A. a. headquarters IN
Washington. We are Just plain Ameri-
can citizens and we have sought general
good in our insistence that the time had
como for the National Government &c
accept percentage Of the multiplying
highway burdens.
ierhirtv-four States have now out
nnpU
trunk lines. which is now an aug1ry 10
the success of the Federal and plan Jus
inauqurated In this connection 1t l
worthy to note that California was tn
first State to apply for its apporlon
ment Of the money, and California
extending SlsO00O00 on two mai
highways extending from the Oregon |
the Mexican line II should be kept
mind that an application for Federf
aid In the improvement OF any roa
must be made by the highway depart
ment Of the State. Consequently If any
body in the State desires to have a roa'
improved hv the aid Of Federal funds
II is necessary that the matter he taker
UP with the State Highway Department
and not with the Federal Government
which viii have the final say through
the Secretary of Agriculture
One provision of the Federal road
law is that State must have duly
constituted highway department
through which to deal with tho Ma
tional Government.
This means that Texas, Indiana
Georgia and South Carolina must fol
low the lead of the forty-four Other
States and do so within the mex
four years. and meanwhile their ap
portionment OF the Federal money Il
being held up.
Texas receives the largest amour
Of all the States. s4.515,75O; Indian
IS generously treated in receiving 81
100000; while Georgia gets S2.Ol9.15'
and South Carolina does fairly wei
$1,111.500.
Thus. II will be seen that befor
se.S16. 600 Of the Federal SI5,0OOOO
IS expended. four States must Ger
tralize their highway labors.