The log cabin Democrat., 1916-07-15
Conway. Arkansas, SATURDAY July Is. 1916
TRANS-STATE ROAD
 TALK IS REVIVED
LILLE ROCK FORT SMITH
Highway Construction May be Hast ened Through Aid of Act Recent
 ly Passed by U. s. Government.

The recent passage of an act of congress making available $85, ,OO0 ,OO0 for the construction of rural roads has revived discussion along the route of building the Little Rock and Fort smith turnpike. Representative Jo Johnson of Sebastian county is one of the leading spirits in the promo tlon of the road and says he will de- vote hls entire energies during the next session of the legislature to this end. A bill for an act forming an improvement district for building the road was widely discussed in the leg islature of 1911 and 1913, but never 1 became law.
 1 The government act provides for the payment by the United States of one-half of the cost of certain ap- proved roads in the various states. l With the aid of the state and the localities through which it traverses 1t IS believed that fine translate turnpike could be built from the cap ltal city to the western border of the sttae at comparatively low cost to the property owners along whose land the road runs.
 The road would traverse the entire width of Faulkner county, entering the county at Palarm, passing l through Mayfiower and Conway and leaving the county at Gleason. a dis tance through the county of about 21 miles.
 Details of the plan of government and for roads are given in the follow Ing bulletin received by the Log Cab Tn Democrat today from the United States department of agriculture:
 "The sum of $85,00O,OOO of federal funds is made available for the con- structlon of rural roads, by the pas sage of the federal aid road bill winch became law on July II, 1916. Of this sum, $75,0OO0OO is to be ex- pended for the construction of rural post roads under cooperative ar engagements with the highway depart ments of the various states, and S1O,- oo0,00O Is to be expended for roads and trails within or partly within the the national forests. The act limits the federal government share in road work Tn cooperation with the states to 50 per cent of the estimated cost of construction. Federal aid may be extended to the construction of any rural post road, excluding all streets or roads in towns having a population of 2,500 or more except the portions of such streets or roads on which the houses are, on an aver age, more than 200 feet apart.
 Five million dollars is made avail able for expenditure during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1917, and there after the appropriation is increased at the rate of five millions a year until 1921, when the sum provided is 70 millions, making a total of 75 mil Hons. In addition, an appropriation of one million dollars year for 10 years, total of 10 million dollars, is made available for the development of roads and trails wholly or partly within the national forests.
 The class of roads to be built and the method of construction are to be mutually agreed upon by the secre- tary of agriculture and the state highway departments.
 "The act provides that after mak- ing necessary deductions for admin lsterlng it's provisions-not to exceed three per cent of the appropriation for any one fiscal year-the secretary of agriculture shall apportion the re- mainder of each years appropriation Tn the following manner:
 "One-third in the ratio which the area of each state bears to the total area of all the state.
 "One-third in the ratio which the population of each state bears to the total population of all the states.
 "One-third in the ratio which the mileage of rural delivery routes and star routes in each state bears to the total mileage of rural delivery routes and star routes in all the states.
 Project statements setting forth the proposed construction of any ru- ral post road or roads in state are to be submitted by the state highway department to the secretary of agri- culture, and upon approval by the secretary all necessary surveys, plans, specifications and estimates must be furnished. The roads projected must be of a substantial character, and items covering engineering, inspec- ton, and unforeseen contingencies are not to xeceed 10 per cent of the total estimated cost of the work.
 Upon completion of the work as approved by the secretary, the amount