The Hattiesburg news., 1916-07-26


substantiability in each separate case
A limit of $4,000 per mile, however
is the maximum fixed by the law tc
prevent use of the government funds
in building costly boulevards which
would not assist in rural development
4 Whether the new roads built under
the law shall be main-traveled trunk
lines, connecting interstate highways
or merely small sections scattered
throughout the states is also left to
the discretion of the Secretary OF
Agriculture. Construction of both is
expected. At the proposed conference
of state highway representatives here
it is believed that proposals for com.
prehensiye, correlative road-building
scheme will be reached. The Ameri
can Highway Association, the Ameri.
can Automobile Association and other
good roads organizations are interest.
ed in such coordination and correla-
tion Of the public roads throughout
the entire nation. Development Of the
national road system as whole is
the broad scheme and aim of govern
ment officials, with the aid of state au-
thorities.
The machinery for cooperative ac-
tion is substantially as follows: States
desiring to secure their share of the
federal funds will, through their high
way commissions or departments, file
formal applications, submitting the
route and character of roads proposed
to the Secretary of Agriculture. Should
he approve the projects, the Secretary
of Agriculture will notify the state
commissions and the Secretary of the
Treasury. The latter will then set
aside the share of the United States,
which shall not exceed so per cent Of
the cost. The Secretary of Agricul-
ture will order payment of the federal
funds upon completion of the roads,
and is also authorized to make partial
payments as construction proceeds.
The construction work and labor in
each state is to be done in accordance
with state laws and under immediate
supervision of the state highway de-
partment, subject to inspection and
approval by government engineers.
This leaves the states in control of
the construction, subject only to in
sure good designs.
Selection of road routes, as well as
their type and structural composition.
is also left primarily to the state Off
cials, subject to approval or rejection
by the Secretary Of Agriculture
To secure share OF the federal
funds, state legislatures or counties
must appropriate sums equal to the
federal allotments. The act also re-
quires formation of state highway
commissions, or silimar state jageh-
cy, to have charge of the states part
of the work. Four states, Indiana,
South Carolina, Georgia and Texas,
have no such commissions or CORE
spending organizations, but to secure
federal funds they must be organized.
Other states. have no highway commits
sions, but have substantially similar
departments or agencies.
Where states, like Illinois, are pro-
hibited by their constitutions or other.
wise prevented from acting under the
proposed 'contributory plan, the act
provides that the federal appropria-
tions may become available to sepa-
rate counties when they shall match
the governments contributions, such
roads, of course, being built only with
in the contributing counties.
To give the states ample time to
build roads and to guard against hasty
or extrayagant construction, the law
also provides that unexpended federal
appropriations each year shall be
available during the succeeding year,
while this years allotments to states
which have no highway departments
shall be available for three years, to
give state legislatures time to create
such departments.
For enforcement of the provision
requiring the states to maintain the
new roads without. federal assistance,
the Secretary of Agriculture is au-
thorized to disapprove of further roads
projects from such states or their civil
and deny further govern
ment aid if roads are not put in proper
condition after four months notice.
Development Of federal corps Of.
highway engineers is one of the re-
suits expected from the new law. Civil
service examinations will be held on
August 8, for many more highway en-
gineers needed by the government
PROGRAM BEST IN SOUTH