The Oskaloosa herald., 1917-02-01
IOWA AND THE
FEDERAL AID
SOMETHING'S STATE MAY DO AND
NOT DO TO GET 1T.
IOWA SHARE OVER 100000
Logan Waller Page Director of the
Federal Office of Public Roards
and Rural Engineering Gives
Views in Statement.

\
First not abolish state highway
commission.
Merely advisory commission not
sufficient.
Commission must have power
to direct and control road work
which receives federal aid.
/ Iowa may retain commission
with powers to develop state high
| Ways system.
| Let county supervisors direct
| purely local road work.
! loWa's share of federal $75,0O0,-
| GOO good roads aid is over $4,000
/ coo.
But to get it Iowa highway COM
mission must meet qualifications
that proposed Johnston-Pitt road
program would not give it.
| Washington, ID. c., Jan. 31-The pro-
posed Johnston-Pitt road program in
the Iowa legislature was specifically
declared to place Iowa outside the
Eale of federal roads aid.
While criticising too rigid and too
eAacting' measures of the commission
and advocating county control over
purely local road matters, Logan Wal
Ter Page, director of the federal office
| of public roads and rural engineering,
declared that merely advisory COM
mission" would prevent over $4,000
600 going to Iowa for better roads.
There's no doubt about it, said
Page, the man under whose direction
Uncle Sans 75,0OO,OOOO good roads
fund is to be distributed among the
various states. "The proposal to
abolish the state highway commission
and give local officials control of all
highway expenditures would put Iowa
out of the running for any share in the
federal fund"
| Page suggested that Iowa take some
middle course in overhauling her road
laws, that would remove the principal
objections to the present state high
way commission and still leave Iowa
in position to benefit by the govern
ment's fund.
| He believes that the counties may
be satisfied by legislation enabling
them to direct purely local road work
and that the state highway commits
sion retain powers to develop a sys-
tenn of state highways, into the build
ing of which the federal aid can be
put.
"The federal government, under the
good roads act" stated Page, "can
deal only with state authorities. And
they must be not merely advisory but
empowered to direct and control the
building of such roads as federal funds
are expended upon
1t is conceded at the federal office
=, of good roads that there has been some
just ground for complaint against the
workings of the Iowa commission, but
| it is held that this could easily be
eliminated One of the chief causes of
friction is said to have the arbitrary
and automatic attitude of young in
spectors sent out by the commission.
These young men, full of the theor-
| les of road construction, just gained
at school, are declared to have been
intoIerant of suggestions from men
who had had less theory but more
practice in road work. This has
worked to engender local hospitality
Throughout the state to the workings
of the commission.
| An instance of this was encountered
by federal road builders in construct
ing a "a mile experimental post road
/ in Iowa. After the federal specifica-
lions had been drawn the state super
wishing engineer sought to change them
to provide for six-foot cutters, for
steel reinforcing completely around
concrete culverts, etc
"Of course" the federal authorities
said, there is absolutely no use for
steel in reinforcing clear around a
culvert Certain parts of it catch the
strain in such way that the con-
crete itself will hold more than steel.
And as for six-foot cutters, even in
city streets where none of the rain
! fell is absorbed, but all must be
carried by the cutters. thirty-inch
or three-foot gutter is ample"
The commissions engineers. how
ever, we're so insistent on change
to meet their ideas that they sent a
man to Washington to argue the
point. This man returned to Iowa
without getting what he came for.
But the proposed Johnston-Pitt road
program it too radical a change. the
belief Ii here. "The legislature should
find some middle course" 1t was said
i''by which present county antagonism
to state control could be allayed and
at the same time retain central high
way authority with sufficient powers
and authority over at least a state
highway system, as to enable Iowa te
quality for her share OF Uncle Sans
good roads funds"