Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1917-04-28
HOW To GETsAID
OF GOVERNMENT
TO BUILD ROADS
UNITED STATES ROAD ENGINEER ON
DUTY IN TEXAS EXPLAINS GER
TAIN ESSENTIAL DETAILS.
APPLICATIONS FOR AID MUST FIRST
GO TO STATE COMMISSION, THEN
TO GOVERNMENT ENGINEER.

Federal aid funds in the building Of
roads in Texas, or any other state, will be
used only in building Sach roads a. are
now or are likely hereafter to he used in
the delivery OF United States rural mails,
explains Captain J. ID. Faunilcroy, the
United States road engineer in Texas. in !;
letter To Secretary ID. +. Colp Of the Texas
Good Roads association. Captain Faunt
leroy made clear certain essentials IN con
ncciion with the federal aid fund that will
be of interest To all districts of the state
contemplating road improvements.
lie said:
anticipating that, ;iS soon "a the Texas
Highway commission j. organized, ii will
receive many requests for federal aid to
be used in the Improvement Of local high
ways, il seems To me advisable 10 make
clear 10 YOU Just how federal aid monies
will be allotted for highway Improvement
''Thc United States government cannot
take the initiative in the matter Of select
ing roads to he improved bv the use of fed
cral aud. 1t is required by law that the
Elil llA-lNNN COMMISSION iaii tf'tti-
mend to the department of agriculture the
roads on which federal aid monies are de-
sired. and it then rests with the office of
public roads and rural engineering, acting
a. the agent of the secretary of a%gricul-
iure. To- make necessary inspections To- see
whether the roads recommended are elIgi-
bic for government aid.
ut should be borne in mind that the
federal aid funds are to be used for the
Improvement of reads over which the
United States mails now are or may here
after be carried. This means that the fed
eral aid monies will be approved only upon
those road, over which rural free delivery
routes now exist or will he established IN
the near future or over roads travcr~cd by
United States star routes. or which will
IN the near future become star routes.
II j., therefore, hoped that county and
local officials applying for federal aid
will bear this limitation IN mind, and vii
no. apply for federal aid on any roads
which are not either rural free delivery
routes. unless such roads, IN all probabili Y
IN VIII nt cum ffiHtt TUX A ilft t'iiNAEN
routes or star routes IN the very near fu-
turc ]. a.. practically upon the completion
Of the proposed improvements.
"Thcrc seems "a ~ i widespread ms
conception in parts "a Texas regarding the
so-callcd National Highways IN that
many people believe that. because 4 rpad
has been designated a. q national high
way ~ the National Highways a%~-pcia-
ton. It necessarily will receive government
aid. A. a matter Of fact, many miles Of
these ~o-callcd National Highways" are
through mountainous or desert sections oi
The country. and III all probability never
will become eligible for federal aid. Fur
lhcrmorc. the very e. encc Of the federal
aid act j. the cooperation which A. re-
quircd between the United States govern
ment. the State Highway commission, and.
m many eases where part 1T the funds are
provided by counties or districts, with tho
necessary local officials.
~ above stated. the United States GOV
eminent cannot take the initiative III c>-
tHbli-hing any road; the State Highway
commission cannot secure government aid,
except by compliance with the terms ~
The federal aid law: y county or district.
IA like mannc cannot secure federal and
without complying with the requirements
ncnts of the United States government.
and of the State Highway commission. u
D.. therefore. evident that no individual ~
organization can, III amy manner, allui the
utc uf federal aid funds 10 specific road
and any such representations ~ have beer
made are necessarily false. Any county
or district official desiring federal aid
hould first take the matter mp with the
State Highway commission and not with
the L. :. office of pablic roads and rural