The Washington herald., 1916-07-12
Federal Aid for Roads.

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morning, when President Wilson signed the
Bankhead bill extending Federal aid to the
States for road improvement. Over $500 900
is being spent this year American roads, and
very large part of this great is being
wasted The road problem of the country today
is not so much to raise more money for high
ways as it is to learn to spend wisely the funds
now available.
The effect of the new law will be educational,
because the national funds contributed to the
States can only be spent roads which are
we'll designed and built, and after construction
are we'll maintained. Any failure of State to
live up to these requirements will debar it from
further Federal aid, and selfish interest, II moth
ing higher, will lead the States to conform with
these stpulations of the law. In this way each
State will have a gradually increasing mileage
of roads built and maintained to accommodate
the needs of the travel them. They will
represent the best thought of the nations ex-
perts and the highway officials OF the State, and
will be object lessons to the taxpayers, teaching
them what they should do.
The bill is constructive, because it places be-
hind the State highway officials OF each State
the scientific knowledge, practical skill and great
prestige OF the United States Department Of
Agriculture In most States the State high
way officials now have little influence. Peanut
politics keeps the control of the roads in the
hands of county and township officials. All the
highway officials OF many States do is to
make recommendations. In such system OF
management, the money that should be spent on
roads is frittered away by host Of supervisors
or overseers, each autocrat OF few miles Of ruts
and chuck holes. He has nobody to teach him
how to grade, drain and maintain his little do
main, and even if there is anybody to teach him
he has too many other things to do to care much
about his roads. The system that produces this
condition and causes the waste OF many millions
OF dollars a year, received a knockout blow yes
terday when the Presidents pen made Federal
cooperation in roadbuilding a reality.
The bill is constructive because it makes Fed
eral control of the road building done with the
nations money an essential part OF the use of
Federal money on the highways in any State,
and thus insures good plans and construction.
The State must first agree to accept the pro-
visions of the law, and this that it must
agree to put up a dollar for every dollar con-
tributed by the United States. 1t must then sub
NIT its projected improvements which Fed
eral aid is desired for the approval Of the Secre-
tary Of Agriculture. This will afford the latter
an opportunity to use his influence in develop
ing a Statewide scheme Of road improvements
when has been already adopted If the
projects are approved, the plans, specifications
and estimates for the work, prepared by the State
officials, must be submitted to him for ap-
prevail This gives him great opportunity to
show the backward States how roads should be
laid out to suit their local requirements, and to
demonstrate that engineering science and the art
of road building save money instead OF wasting
it in reckless extravaganza. Finally, no Federal
funds will be paid until the Federal inspectors
have examined the road, and found the part
completed to be we'll built at fair prices
There is nothing but straight business about
the law. The nation holds back per cent Of
the annual appropriation to administer the law.
The remaining 81 per cent is divided into three
equal parts. One part will be apportioned among
the States in proportion to their population, the
second part in proportion to their area and the
third part in proportion their mileage Of rural
free delivery and star routes. Congress has been
debating Federal aid for road building for many
years, and this method Of distributing the money
is acknowledged to be the best yet devised. This
fiscal year the appropriation is S5,ooo,ooo and
$1,000, 900 will be added to the amount each year
until in the fifth year the will be $4,000 900.
The States must put up equal amounts. But
these large sums must be spent under co-opera-
tive conditions, with both national and State
control them. 1t is hard to see how politics,
State or national, influence the administration
of the bill. But it is easy to see how the De-
partment of Agriculture by learning the local
requirements local failures and local successes of
road building in every State and then studying
all these records in the light of its own wide
scientific knowledge, can become powerful
agent in lifting the countryside. from Cape Henry
to the Golden Gate, out Of the mud and dust,
giving the farmers access to markets. the children
better roads to school and the farmers wives a
measure Of social life with neghbors from whom
bad roads now isolate them in a life of drab
monotony. Federal aid and counsel in road
building have been demanded from all parts of
the country these many years. 1t is now a
reality, in law that is truly "of the people for
the people and by the people"
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