Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-07-09
State and Federal Govern
ments to Spend $15O,OOO,-
600 for Improvement.
FORTY-EIGHT STATES
SHARE IN NEW PLAN
Highways Are to Be Selected Sub
ject to the Approval of the Sec
rotary of Agriculture.

Cooperation between the national
government and the states in highways
improvement has begun on a country
wide program.
In the next five years $3.50, 100000 will
be expended on half-and- plan,
upon arterial roads selected by the
highway authorities of the forty-eight
states. subject to the approval of the
Secretary of Agriculture
| The cooperative plan became effec-
tive when President Woodrow Wilson
attached his signature to the concrete
proposition which resulted in the merg-
ing by the conferees of the two bills
passed by Congress, the Senate and
House having adopted different meas
ures. In greater degree the Senate bill
found approval. for 1t directed quite
positively the expenditure of the money
and required the maintenance of the
| roads after construction by imposing
discontinuance of further funds for
neglect in this important matter.
! In the amalgamation of the two meas
| ures the conferes of the Senate were
Senator John H. Bankhead, chairman
| of it's committee on post offices and
post roads. and Senators Claude A.
| Swanson of Virginia and Charles E.
Townsend of Michigan. Representa-
| tives D. W. Shackleford. chairman II
the committee on roads. and E. W.
Saunders of Virginia were the spokes-
men for the House.
Origin Of the Movement.
With the federal aid convention con-
Quoted by the American Automobile
Association in Washington. January
l16-17. 1912. started the effort which
finally resulted in the law just enacted.
Congress answered this first gathering
by the creation of joint committee of
the Senate and House, authorized to
| investigate upon the desirability and
feasibility of federal aid to the states
! Its report was distinctly favorable.
Com bining their ererPjes, the Ameri-
can Association of State Highway Of
| ficals and the American Automobile
Association urged the fundam entails
contained in the Bankhead-Shackle-
| ford legislation accomplished.
| Chairman George c. Diehl of the A.
A. A. good roads board thus comments
on this new policy of combining federal
and state funds In roads building:
| The majority of the states have
provided for definite systems of state
| highways. which they are constructing
as rapidly as available means permit.
Every effort should be directed now to-
ward having the federal funds apply
on these state systems and not FILTERED
Iaway on countless little disconnected To-
cal roads. 1t is the duty of those who
wish to see tangible and lasting beneht
derived from the federal aid to shape
public seatiment so as to have 1t SOL
lidly back of the policy of applying fed
eral aid to the completion of the state
highway systems and to the connecting
up Of these systems with each other so
that while serving the primary inter-
1T
rapidly toward the requirement OF
| comprehensive national system.
| Apportionment of the Fund.
| Added to the $4,000, 900 from the fed
eral Treasury will be a like amount
| from the several states. The federal
| distribution is on the basis Of area,
population and rural delivery and star
routes The first-year appropriation
is s5,o00,0OO, with a yearly increase of
the same amount during the fve-year
period Herewith is the total federal
distribution for the five years among
the forty eight states: Alabama. 81
sos 900; Arizona. s1,076.25o. Arkansas,
| $272.750; California. S2.33s,250: Colo
| Delaware, s124.50O: FLORIDA. $50;
Georgia, $2,079, $50; Idaho. SsI.2dO; Illi-
nois, S3,432.O00; Indiana, s2.10s.000:
Iowa. s2.260.50 Kansas. $2.231.250;
Kentucky. sl,50s, 900; Louisiana. s1,O1s,-
| $50; Maine. $731.250; Maryland. $662.-
| $50; Massachusetts,. $1.140.000. Michi-
| gan, $2,259.750: Minnesota, $2,190.7b0;
Mississippi. S1.371 900; Missouri. $685.
| $50; Montana, s1.512.75O; Nebraska, ST.
| 5000 Nevada. $1.004.250; New Hamp-
shire. S324.75o; New Jersey. $4,000:
New Mexico. s1.235.250; New York, s3.-
| S77,5O0: North Carolina, $1,16.000;
North Dakota. $t176.0o0: Ohio, s2.s05,-
500; Oklahoma, $1.773,750; Oregon. 81
221, $50; Pennsylvania, 1855, $50; Rhode
| Island $1S0,750: South Carolina, S1.111,-
| 500; South Dakota. $1,256.250; Tonnes
see $1,773.750; Texas. $4,515,75o; Utah.
s869.250; Vermont. s354.000: Virginia.
s1.530,000; Washington. $1.0s8.75o; West
| Virginia, S825,750; Wisconsin, $685.
900; Wyoming. ss56.250.
A supplement to the bill which sur
| vived the report Of the conferees gives
an additional s10.oO0.000, to be expend-
| ed al the rate Of 100000 year. on
| roads within or adjacent to federal for
est reserves. the money to be repaid
| ultimately out of the sale of timber
| and from other sources of revenue. The
| western states were particularly inter-
ested in this phase of the question. and
successfully contended that the ma
| tional government should protect and
develop it's own property.
|