The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-08-31
FEDERAL AID
BEFORE
COMMISSIONERS
State Highway Commission
Hearing Requests Ag-
gregating $250,O00
WORK MAY BE
DONE THIS FALL
Appropriation of $76,143
for 1916 Work In State
Not Yet Touched

Bismarck, N. D., Aug. 31.-Re-
quests for federal aid projects ag-
gregating $3.50, 900 are being consid-
cred at a meeting of the state high
way commission which opened at
the capitol today. These are re-
quests which conform to federal re-
quirements as to post roads, with
some slight adjustments, and the
state highway commission antici-
pates contracts for practically all
the work petitioned for may be
let this fall or early this winter.
Funds available for federal aid
work are $76,143 of the 1915 approp-
ration, which has not been touched;
S152,2S6 which became available
July 1, and $228,429 which will be-
come available July, 1, 1918. For state
aid work there now is on hand $685.
900, and Ii is anticipated that $780,
900 more will be available by July /,
1918, making total Of $794.429
which will be available for the. inn
provement of North Dakota high
ways during the ensuing Is months.
The highway commission hopes dur
ing the coming winter to procure
from the counties requests Which
will consume the entire amount
available for work in the summer
and fall of 1918 and the spring of
1919 Until the spring of 1918 it is
not probable, owing to unavoidable
aid work will be done on North Da-
kota highways,
To Change Locations.
One of the important matters to
be taken up by the state highway
commission at its present meeting
is the changing of locations of roads
in several counties in order to take
better advantage OF rural post
roads. Federal funds will not be
availabIeo for the Improvement of
roads over which mail is not now
carried. County boards and the state
highway commission now have the
difficult problem or relocating many
roads already adopted as part of the
state plan in such way as not to
materially increase the total mileage
of state roads and at the same time
to secure a greater. percentage Of
post routes, to facilitate such reloca-
ton, the state highway commission
has had prepared a post route map
showing all the rural as well as star
routes.
The plans Of the state highway
commission have suffered serious de-.
lay owing to the fact that the rul-'
ing of the United States department
Of agriculture practically restricting
federal aid to post roads. did not
come until May rs, when the state
commissions, plans had all been
laid, the coanties had picked out the
roads uponEwhich they desired fed
eral aid, and these had been APPROX.
ed by til i state board. This selection
was MADE with particular attention
to the trafnc needs Of the commune
ties, giving post roads secondary
As a result the ruling
Of the department OF agriculture
giving precedence to post roads. to
the practical exclusion OF all others
rendered a radical reimbursement nee
essary. It is due to this fact that
little actual construction has been
Or can be attempted this year.
A number OF field parties are now
put over the territory, and Senior
Engineer H. b.. Hutchins of the
United States Office of public roads
FOR this district is making detail
surveys. There Is every reason to
hope that by early next spring the
state and federal departments will
nave completed all preliminary work
and that one Of the greatest road
building campaigns in the history of
my northwestern state may proceed
without INTERRUPTION.