The Coconino sun., 1917-03-23
(By Jno. D. Guthrie)

| l taxpayers of Arizona are not aware of the extent to which the Federal Government aids the state in the con struction of good roads. There are four distinct ways in which the gov ernment appropriates money for this purpose, namely: CD the 259o of for est receipts, school and road fund, (2) the 108o of forest receipts road fund, (3) the fund established by the Fed eral Aid Road Act of July II, 1916, as applying to all states, (4) the fund established by Section s of the same Act as applying to National Forest states.
 Each of these funds is described in turn.
 CD The 259o of Forest receipts school and road fund. This fund con sists of 25po of all receipts derived from National Forests located in Ari- zona. The money is transferred di- rectly from the treasury of the Unit ed States to the treasury of Arizona and does not come under the admin stration of the Forest Service. The state treasurer distributes this money to the counties according to the acreage of National Forest land in each county. Thus, Coconino county receives 254o of the total receipts from the Coconino forest each year and also a part of the receipts from the Sitgreaves and Tusayan forests. A part of the Coconino forests re- ceipts go to Yavapai county as ap- proximately 320,000 acres of this for est are in that country. The spending of this money is left entirely to the county and may be spent for schools, roads or other purposes as the county see fit. Congress has provided, how ever, that the amount paid should not exceed 40&o of the counties tax re- ceipts from other sources.
 (2) The 1O9o of Forest receipts road fund.
 In addition to the 25qo mentioned above an additional 109o of the total receipts from the National Forests ir Arizona is expended on roads and trails each year. This fund is ad. ministered entirely by the Forest Ser vice and must be spent on road or trail construction within the National Forests. Since the available amount is small the aim is to use this fund only on the most needed projects ant to secure county cooperation where, ever possible. The Flagstaff Belle. mont section of the Flagstaff Will. Hams road was built from this fund The cost of seven miles of new con. struction on the Winslow-Long Valley road begun in 1916 within the Coco, nino Forest has also been provided for from this fund.
 (3) The fund established by ths Federal Aid Road Act of July II. 1916 as applying to all states.
 This Act, known also as the Shack leford- -Bankhead Act provides for CO., operation with state highway depart ments in the construction of rural post roads, defined as any public road over which the United States mails now are or may hereafter be trans ported. Beginning with an appropri- ation of $5,O00,00O for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1916 the appropria- tion is increased $5,000.0O each year until 1920 when $20,000,000 is to be appropriated making a total appro- priation of $75,O00,000 for the entire U. S. The amount paid by the United States as it's share of any project can not exceed 509o of the estimated cost of the project and no payment will be made for construction in excess of $10,00O per mile exclusive of the cost of bridges. Maintenance of the roads after construction is to be the duty of the states.
 (4) The fund established by Sec tion 8 of the same Act as applying to National Forest states.
 The above act Exclusive of Section 8 appropriates money to any state, the roads can be built anywhere with in the state but such roads must be post roads.
 Section 8 of the same Shackleford- Bankhead Act applies peculiarly to Arizona in that 1t provides for the survey, construction and maintenance of roads and trails within or only partly within national forests, when necessary for the use and develop ment of resources upon which com munities within and adjacent to the | national fnrocfc ara danandapt