The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1916-07-09
GOVERNMENT
AID FOR GOOD
ROADS IN ]. 8.
SEVENTY-FlVE MILLION DOLLARS
WILL BE EXPENDED by THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IN THE
VARIOUS STATES.

For the past twenty years Colonel
Sidney Suggs, eX-state highway com
federal aid for the construction of
permanent roads. ana with this end
in view he has labored increasingly,
that he might convince the lawmakers
of the nation that good roads were far
more important to the nation than
the efforts they were eXpending to
make navigable rivers out of dry
streams and spending millions of dol
lars annually for this for the most
part useless purpose.
Colonel Suggs has always maintain
ed that money so spent was col
ossal demonstration of peanut peni-
winkle pork barrel political PROPOSE
tions. He stated yesterday morning
that when he went to the United
States senate he would feel no proud
his pet measure had been enacted
into law, and that the states would
now be in position to do permanent
construction and maintenance of high
ways. This applies more especially
to the younger states of the union
where practical roaG building has
been for the most part sadly neglect
ed, and now is the time to organize
and build educational miles of roads
such as he organized at the Seminole
high school and built in 1912.
Following is the text of the plan
as adopted by congress, and which has
received the signature of President
Wilson:
Cooperation between the national
government and the states in high
ways Improvement has begun on a
countrywide program.
In the next five years $150,000,000
will be expended on a half and half
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 eff
fective when President Woodrow Will
son attached his signature to the con-
crete proposition which resulted in
the merging by the conferees of the
two bills passed by congress, the sen
ate and house having adopted differ
ent measures. In greater degree the
senate bill found approval, for it di-
rected quite positively the eXpendi-
ture of the money ana required the
maintenance of the roads, after
construction, by imposing a dis
continuance of further funds for neg
lect in this important matter.
In the amalgamation of the two
measures the conferees of the senate
were Senator John II. Bankhead,
chairman of its committee on post
offices and post roads, and Senators
Claude A. Swanson OF Virginia, and
Charles f. Townsend of Michigan.
Representatives d. w Shackleford,
chairman of the committee on roads,
and +. w. Saunders of Virginia were
the spokesmen for the house.
With the federal aid convention
conducted by the American Automo-
bile association in Washington, Janu-
ary 1917, 1912, started the effort
which finally resulted in the law just
first gathering by the creation of
joint committee of the senate and
house, authorized to investigate upon
the desirability and feasibility of fed
eral aid to the states. Its report was
distinctly favorable.
Combining their energies, the Am
erican Association of State Highway
Officials and the American Automo-
bile association urged the fundamen- !
tails contained in the Bankhead- !
Shackleford legislation accomplished. |
Chairman George c. Diehl of the A.
A. A. good roads board thus COM
ments on this new policy of condIct- |
ing federal and state funds in roads |
building:
"The majority of the states have |
provided for definite systems of state /
highways, which they are construct /
ing as rapidly as available means per-
nit. Every effort should be directed /
now toward having the federal funds |
apply on these state systems and !
not frittered away on countless little |